Famous portrait of Winston Churchill stolen from Ottawa hotel in ‘brazen act’
Posted August 22, 2022 4:37 pm.
It’s something you would expect to see in a heist film — it appears a famous portrait of Sir Winston Churchill has been swiped from the Château Laurier in Ottawa.
A staff member at the downtown Ottawa hotel noticed the picture frame of the portrait, taken by famed photographer Yousuf Karsh, seemed a little off.
Upon further inspection, it was discovered the portrait had been swapped out with an unsigned copy version.
The hotel’s general manager says the Château Laurier’s staff are “deeply saddened” by the theft.
“The hotel is incredibly proud to house this stunning Karsh collection, which was securely installed in 1998,” reads a news release.
The famed portrait was photographed by Yousuf Karsh in 1941, it depicts a scowling Churchill in the Speaker of the House of Commons’ chambers shortly after he made a speech to the Canadian Parliament during the Second World War.
“He continued to chomp vigorously at his cigar. I waited,” said Karsh about taking the famous photo. “Then I stepped toward him and, without premeditation, but ever so respectfully, I said, ‘Forgive me, sir,’ and plucked the cigar out of his mouth.”
“By the time I got back to my camera, he looked so belligerent he could have devoured me. It was at that instant that I took the photograph.”
The stolen copy was part of a collection of Karsh portraits that have been displayed at the hotel for decades. The photographer and his wife lived at the Château Laurier for 18 years and Karsh’s studio was in the hotel for 20 years, from 1972 on.
He is widely considered one of the greatest portrait photographers of the 20th century.
The hotel says the other five portraits that were hanging in the Reading Lounge have been removed and secured for precautionary reasons. Another group of Karsh portraits hang in the hotel’s ‘Karsh Suite.’
The hotel is asking any members of the public with information to contact them.
With files from The Canadian Press
