Day Tripping: December 23

Image Master

Yousuf Karsh was born during the Ottoman Empire in Armenia in 1908. His family moved to Canada to escape the Armenian genocide, and by the time he was thirty, he had established a reputation for portrait photography in Ottawa, the nation’s capital.

Yousuf learned photography from his uncle Quebec before he could speak either French or English. And as his family was poor, Karsh never completed a formal education. But as his skills developed, Yousuf began receiving commissions to photograph notable people.

Karsh’s major breakthrough came in 1941 when he captured this image of Winston Churchill who was visiting Canada for the war effort.

The obstinate look on Churchill’s face reflected the seriousness of the era. But Karsh captured the moment with trickery. Sir Winston was smoking a cigar at the time and refused to put the lit stogie down.

Afraid the smoke would blur the image, Yousuf plucked the cigar from the British Prime Minister’s mouth before snapping the image. Churchill’s glare suited the moment and made Karsh an iconic photographer.

The original hangs today in Canada’s Speaker of the House of Commons Chamber. Another copy hangs in the lobby of the Chateau Laurier Hotel in Ottawa. A bust of Karsh stands outside the historic hotel as a monument to his contributions and a gift from the Armenian government.

Over a sixty-year career, Yousuf Karsh’s works have captured some of the most prominent figures of the 20th century. Twenty of his photographs were featured on the cover of Life Magazine. More of his work hangs in the museums of the world.

Today is:

Festivus — for the rest of us!

A holiday that was first introduced by Frank Costanza on the Seinfeld show, it is celebrated annually as a statement of despair against the commercialization of Christmas.

Traditions include the airing of grievances and feats of strength. There’s even a song, sung to the tune of Oh, Canada.

Musical Ride

In 1977, singer/songwriter Cat Stevens officially changed his name to Yusuf Islam after converting to the religion. It’s his second name change as he was born, Steven Georgiou in London, the son of Greek immigrants.

Interesting Notes

Cat Stevens’ conversion to Islam was spurred by a near-death experience while swimming in the Pacific Ocean. Drowning, exhausted, and praying for help, Stevens claimed his prayers were answered when a wave came and gently pushed him toward shore.

He then went on a spiritual journey and found Islam when his brother gave him a copy of the Koran. Stevens gave up his successful recording career to follow its teachings.

Gone But Not Forgotten

Before becoming what Duke Ellington called the Maharaja of the keyboard, Oscar Peterson worked as a porter for the Canadian Pacific Railway. The Montreal-born musician went on to become one of the most beloved pianists in jazz history. Oscar Peterson was 82 when he died in 2007.

Notable Births

1943 — Harry Shearer: “If absolute power corrupts absolutely, does absolute powerlessness make you pure?”

1964 — Eddie Vedder: “Caffeine. The gateway drug.”

K. Barrett Maria Rattray Maryam Merchant Dr. Mehmet Yildiz Tree Langdon Myriam Ben Salem Phil Truman Chelsea Mandler MAT Terry Mansfield Hollie Petit, Ph.D. Terry Trueman Dr. Preeti Singh John Gruber Bill Abbate James G Brennan ScienceDuuude Marcus Liam Ireland Claire Kelly Noorain Hassan, BMS Amy Pierovich David Acaster Nora Thewriteyard David Perlmutter Joe Luca Holly Kellums Michael Burg, MD Lucy Dan Dave Logan

All previous Day Tripping entries are available at the following links:

The Story Of Day Tripping Through History What’s Past Is Often Present

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