Yousuf Karsh bust unveiled in downtown Ottawa

PanARMENIAN.Net - The bust of prominent Canadian-Armenian photographer Yousuf Karsh was unveiled in front of the Chateau Laurier in Ottawa, the Armenian Committee of Canada said in a Facebook post.

“The bust that is a gift from the Armenian people to the Canadian people stands as a lasting symbol of the strong friendship between Canada and Armenia,” the Committee said.

The event was attended by a number of guests, including Armenia’s ambassador to Canada Armen Yeganyan.

The bust is a gift from the Armenian people to the Canadian people on behalf of not only 150th of Canada's Confederation, but also the 25th anniversary of Canadian-Armenian diplomatic relations, Yeganyan said in a post of his own.

The choice of Chateau Laurier as the venue for the bust was not accidental. Karsh's first solo exhibition was in 1936 in the Drawing Room of the hotel. He moved his studio into the hotel in 1973, and it remained there until he retired in 1992.

Karsh has been recognized as one of the great portrait photographers of the 20th century by Time magazine and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, with the latter noting the "distinct style in his theatrical lighting."