Bernard Shaw in the garden at Shaw's Corner
Yousuf Karsh (Mardin 1908 - Boston 2002)
Category
Photographs
Date
1943
Materials
Wood, paper, glass
Measurements
14.5 ins (h)10.5 ins (w)
Order this imageCollection
Shaw's Corner, Hertfordshire
NT 1274657
Summary
Photograph of Bernard Shaw by Yousuf Karsh (1908-2002) taken in the garden at Shaw’s Corner in 1943. Shaw poses standing on the grass walk to the west of the terrace, with the west side of the house seen in the background. One of Shaw’s walking sticks hangs on his left arm, whilst he examines his felt hat which he holds with both hands. Mounted, black wood frame with support at back, glazed. Handwritten label 'KARSH' on mount at bottom right.
Full description
Photograph of Bernard Shaw by Yousuf Karsh taken in the garden at Shaw’s Corner in 1943. Shaw poses standing on the grass walk to the west of the terrace, with the west side of the house seen in the background. One of Shaw’s walking sticks hangs on his left arm, whilst he examines his felt hat which he holds with both hands. Mounted, black wood frame with support at back, glazed. Handwritten label 'KARSH' on mount at bottom right. Karsh was an Armenian-Canadian photographer who became one of the most celebrated portrait photographers of the twentieth century. He came to visit Shaw in 1943, taking a number of photographs. Karsh believed that Shaw liked the photographs, and recalled the sitting when Shaw “came bursting into the room with the energy of a young man, though he was then almost ninety years old. His manner, his penetrating old eyes, his bristling beard, and crisp speech were all designed to awe me and, in the beginning, they succeeded…I think Shaw enjoyed himself. For he was a better actor than many who appeared in his plays and he obviously loved to act… After he had tested me with preliminary terror we got along beautifully”. A further famous portrait of Shaw by Karsh was later donated by the photographer himself (NT 1274721.1), together with a printed account of his first meeting with the playwright (NT 1274721.3).(Alice McEwan, 2020)
Provenance
The Shaw Collection. The house and contents were bequeathed to the National Trust by George Bernard Shaw in 1950, together with Shaw's photographic archive.
Makers and roles
Yousuf Karsh (Mardin 1908 - Boston 2002), photographer