A Relationship. --- my thoughts after enjoying a book of portraits by Yousuf Karsh.

During my book hunts, I occasionally come across volumes that catch me off guard and open doors to information I least expect to come across. Information so enlightening that I learn so much from them, and at the same time derive a lot of pleasure and satisfaction reading the book, journal or magazine. A few months ago, I found a book in a thrift shop. Initially, I bypassed it, since the title did not ring a bell and the author's name and picture were not familiar to me either. I went back, picked it up, and leafed through some of the pages. The pages hold a collection of black and white portraits, with concise biographical

data along with them. They are of excellent quality. I tried to locate the year of publication from the front cover. There is no publication date on the book. That only increased my curiosity. The name and picture of the author, I studied and drew a blank again. The picture of the middle-aged, balding man was next to his name, in big capital letters ----YOUSUF KARSH. The name seemed to be the title of the volume. Beneath the name, was the actual title: "PORTRAITS OF GREATNESS." His brief biography on the front flap proved my conclusion wrong. From the name, I had thought he was from somewhere in the Middle East, but his biography placed him in Canada and he was actually known as Yousuf Karsh of Ottawa, in the professional circle. He was an immigrant from Armenia and was a celebrated photographer of his days. An online search for Yousuf Karsh showed that he passed away in 2002 in Boston. He had quite a remarkable career in photography. Great men and women of all lifestyles and professions sat or posed before the Karsh lens, according to his biography. With that, my curiosity was stirred and I took a seat and went through the spectacular find-- a combination of graphic art, history, humor, and incredible information accompanied by excellent portraits, described as his most famous portraits, each worthy of salon display. From reading a few of the biographies, I gathered that these portraits spanned over a three-decade period covering from the mid nineteen thirties to the late fifties. I gladly paid the four dollars for the book and looked at some more portraits when I got home, and then put it away, meaning to study all of it, but forgot all about it. While packing and labeling books the other day, I came across Yousuf Karsh's collection of portraits again and have been enjoying it since. I did not realize what I had bought. It may not be a big deal to others, but to me and for me and history enthusiasts, it is a treasure. I am very excited by this find. Mr. Karsh had put the narratives in such a way that the reader feels as if the stories are in the present. With the portraits so well done and so real to life, the reader goes back in time to the period. The portraits are of the people in the news in those days; people in various areas of Arts, Science, with Literature, Music, Medicine and politics in between. Many of the names were not familiar to me and I learned about them for the first time, while some of the names were men and women I knew about from history class and other reading. Most of them were born in the last quarter of the eighteen hundreds and a few were born in the early nineteen hundreds. A few had died by the time this book was published, but the majority were still alive and very few are still alive and around today. Some of the subjects in these portraits include Marian Anderson, Dr Charles Herbert Best--- co discoverer of Insulin, Physicist Nielss Bohr, Pearl S. Buck, Ralph Johnson Bunche--- of the United Nations who did a lot of work in the Middle East. Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill's portraits are there---,two portraits, one in 1941 and the other fifteen years later. The 1941 portrait was reputed to have earned Mr. Karsh world acclaim. Just looking at the picture today, one can still see the determination or defiance on Sir Churchill's face. I remember his pictures from childhood days, when he was in his late eighties and about ninety. Then there is Christian Dior, Walt Disney, a young Duke of Edinburgh, Albert Einstein, Dwight D. Eisenhower, a young Elizabeth the second, Sir Alexander Fleming who discovered Penicillin in 1922, Robert Frost-- American poet, Dag Hammarskjold--- then Secretary-General of the United Nations who died in a tragic plane crash; Ernest Hemingway in a rare portrait, a young Audrey Hepburn, His Holiness Pope John XX111, a beaming Helen Keller and her devoted friend Katharine Cornell, Andre Malraux-- two time French information minister and a war prisoner,---his predictions about China were so accurate. German novelist and essayist, Thomas Mann in a remarkable portrait, The Rt. Hon. Vincent Massey--- the first Canadian Governor General of Canada, Jawaharlal Nehru of India, Georgia O’Keeffe, a young Sir Laurence Olivier, Yukio Ozaki-- Japanese Statesman, Wilder Penfield-- renown neurologist, Pablo Picasso, His holiness Pope Pius XX11, Their Serene Highnesses Prince Rainier 111 and Princess Grace of Monaco in a beautiful 1956 portrait. Norman Rockwell in his studio, Anna Eleanor Roosevelt, Philosopher Bertrand Arthur William Russell--- a British prolific writer and Nobel Laureate; (one of his books, why I am not a christian is a book I am currently searching for. Then comes a portrait of a very simple looking Dr Jonas Edward Salk--- in his white Lab coat giving a little patient a polio vaccine. Very impressive. What a differnce his work has made for mankind. I had never heard about Brigadier General David Sarnoff, who was a pioneer in American Radio and Television and also played a major role in communications during World War 11. Albert Schweitzer--- a French Missionary-Surgeon who did a lot of charity work,especially in Africa, is another very interesting subject. George Bernard Shaw--- Irish playwright, novelist, philosopher and critic was photographed in his older years. Igor Sikorsky-- American Aircraft designer, Francis Henry Taylor, whose life revolved around art collection and appreciation, was director of major Art Museums before his death in 1957. Dr Paul Dudley White,holding his stethoscopes with both hands across his chest in the portrait, looked like the elderly rural community physician, but was actually an outstanding physician and one of the founders of the American heart Association. Tennessee Williams-- American Playwright, and Frank Lloyd Wright, great American architect, end the collection. Coming across treasures like this book does not happen regularly and whenever it happens, it is really appreciated and enjoyed to the fullest. I did not mention all the names in the volume, and the names I listed, were put out just as they were presented. There were just too many interesting men and women in the volume to mention all of them. Such book finds are usually pored over for hours and for days and then carefully put away for future enjoyment and for others to enjoy. I had wondered why Mr Karsh had the portrait of two popes in his book of portaits and no portrait of the Archbishop of Canterbury for example, or that of any well known Rabbi of those days. I must add that “ Defender of the Faith” was the last of the titles listed for Elizabeth the second. While watching the celebration of her silver jubilee a few weeks ago, and hearing her pray for forgiveness and peace for families around the world, I was really touched. I recalled the argurement and fights between school children in childhood days over church denomination. In one particular rural community where my family lived at the time, the elementary schools, ran by the Roman Catholic Mission (RCM) and the Church Missionary Society (CMS),(of the Church of England), were next to each other, separated by a fence made of palm fronds and wood. There were occasional fights between children after school, even at the stream, while fetching water. We were not allowed to fight for any reason whatsoever ,though we managed to get into fights once in a while, but never over religion. I heard earfuls of denomination bad talk and some of them worried me. I remember being told that all CMS people (non Roman catholic) were destined for hell and I worried about that a whole lot. Eventually, I asked questions and learned that it was not true. There were too many wrong beliefs in those days. Then in Sunday school the story about the camel passing through the eye of a needle was another scary one. Mankind is doomed, I thought to myself, If it will be easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for one to go to heaven, then what is the fate of humans? I don't remember having the alternative explained clearly. “I am the Way, The Truth, and the Life, no one comes to the Father, but by Me”, is one of the first Jesus quotes Christians learn, but fail to connect to the camel and needle-eye analogy. All the fights over denomination in those days and even nowadays remain a total waste of time and energy. Denomination had never and will never save anybody. Being good and trying very hard to be good will not do it. Self punishment, as practiced by some religious groups to attain piety will not do it either. A believer in Jesus Christ is a Christian and follows Christianity. The denominations, and their varying beliefs and practices make up the christian church. One source I looked at, termed these beliefs and practices--- Christian-ism. Getting from believing in Jesus Christ, to accepting him as Lord and Savior, then moving beyond Christian-ism, opens the door to the journey and to a relationship with the Son of God,( who became Son of man to experience man’s ordeal),and then the prophecy concerning him was fulfilled for the salvation of mankind. It is a tedious journey, just as painful as it was for Him when he was here. A journey, which becomes possible and manageable, as one accepts his gift of grace and salvation and then focuses on Him. There are many lessons to be learned, and daily adjustments to make, in order to remain in the relationship. Denomination will not do it at all. It is all about a RELATIONSHIP! Thanks for reading. (This are only from my thoughts, not to be mistaken for anything else.