General Information

Serial #

N/A

Part Number

1

Total Parts

4

AKA

N/A

Patents

N/A

General Description

.1 VELVET, WITH GABARDINE LINING/.2-.3 VELVET;.3 LINED WITH FLOCKED MATERIAL (POSSIBLY VELVET)/.4 FLOCKED MATERIAL (POSSIBLY VELVET)

Dimensions

Note: These reflect the general size for storage and are not necessarily representative of the object's true dimensions.

Length

123.0 cm

Width

60.0 cm

Height

N/A

Thickness

N/A

Weight

N/A

Diameter

N/A

Volume

N/A

Lexicon

Group

Photography

Category

Still camera accessories

Sub-Category

N/A

Manufacturer

AKA

Graber

Country

Canada

State/Province

Ontario

City

Ottawa

Context

Country

Canada

State/Province

Ontario

Period

THESE FOCUSING CLOTHS MAY HAVE BEEN USED LATE 1950S +. NOT USED AFTER 1992.

Canada

PART OF A LARGE COLLECTION OF PHOTOGRAPHIC EQUIPMENT USED BY YOUSUF KARSH, CANADA'S INTERNATIONALLY HONOURED PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHER. FROM 1932 TO 1992, MR. KARSH OPERATED FROM HIS PRINCIPLE STUDIO IN OTTAWA, PHOTOGRAPHING HEADS OF STATE, RELIGIOUS LEADERS, AND THOSE PROMINANT IN BUSINESS, THE ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT. HIS PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINTS & NEGATIVES, AND PERSONAL PAPERS ARE IN THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF CANADA.

Function

USED TO BLOCK OUT EXTRANEOUS LIGHT FALLING ON GROUND GLASS VIEWING SYSTEM OF CERTAIN STUDIO CAMERAS.

Technical

FOCUSING CLOTHS MADE BY MRS. HELLA GRABER, LONG-TIME TECHNICIAN AND LIBRARIAN TO MR. KARSH..1 BEARS KARSH'S MONOGRAMME;.2 IS INITIALED & WAS USED WITH HIS PRINCIPLE CAMERA 970319. KARSH PREFERRED TO USE COLOURFUL CLOTHS WHEN PHOTOGRAPHING FOR THE SAME REASON HE PAINTED HIS CAMERAS WHITE- KARSH DID NOT LIKE HIS EQUIPMENT TO LOOK FUNEREAL. (KARSH, Y. "IN SEARCH OF GREATNESS" 1963. PP. 104-105). ACCORDING TO JERRY FIELDER, KARSH ALSO ENJOYED THE THEATRICAL. HE DID NOT NORMALLY ATTACH THE FOCUSING CLOTH TO HIS CAMERA. ASIDE FROM THE PRACTICAL DIFFICULTY OF CHANGING FILM HOLDERS WITH THE CLOTH ATTACHED, KARSH LOVED TO WHIP THE CLOTH OFF WITH A FLOURISH WHEN A SHOT WAS COMPLETE. (REF.2) NB: CLOTH WAS DRAPED VELVET SIDE DOWN.

Area Notes

Unknown

Details

Markings

.1-.2: " Y K " embroidered by hand in one corner of focusing cloth.

Missing

NONE. EACH IS COMPLETE IN ITSELF.

Finish

.1 WINE COLOURED VELVET CLOTH, LINED WITH HEAVY TAN-COLOURED GABARDINE; MONOGRAMMED WITH GOLD METALLIC THREAD/.2 BURGUNDY VELVET CLOTH, MONOGRAMMED WITH GOLD METALLIC THREAD/.3 BURGUNDY VELVET CLOTH, LINED WITH LIGHT-BROWN VELVET/.4 LIGHT BROWN FLOCKED FABRIC CLOTH; UNLINED.

Decoration

N/A