One of the greatest portrait photographers of all time, Yousuf Karsh (1908--2002) captured not only the images of hundreds of the 20th century's most memorable leaders and celebrities but also the faces of thousands of ordinary men and women whose lives formed the backbone of Canadian society. Karsh, who died at the age of 93 in July 2002, left a priceless legacy to Canada---his adopted homeland for nearly eight decades. Before his death, Karsh sold or donated all 355,000 of his negatives to Canada's National Archives in Ottawa. His photos will form the core collection of the Portrait Gallery of Canada, which was scheduled to open in 2005.

Of Karsh's accessibility to photo subjects from all walks of life, Lily Koltun, acting director of the Portrait Gallery told the Toronto Star, "He gave the same attention to anyone who called his studio, so the work we have from him is a wonderful...