Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2002/07/14
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]An apocryphal story has it that Pierre Trudeau, after a word in his ear one day from Karsh, arranged for the dropping of import Tariffs on Large Format professional photographic equipment. Even if it's not true, it should be! Tim (Told to me by the person who made the 4x5 TLR's that Karsh used at one time) > -----Original Message----- > From: owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us > [mailto:owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us]On Behalf Of Ken > Lassiter > Sent: Sunday, July 14, 2002 11:01 AM > To: Leica Users Forum > Subject: [Leica] Passing of a great portrait photographer > > > One more story comes to mind. Once when I was in Karsh's Ottawa studio, > he showed me how he developed his 8x10 negatives by inspection. He used > Kodak desensitizer to reduce the chance of fogging. > > I think he must have been the last photographer on earth to use that > product. Sales were down to a few bottles sold each year in Canada and > New York City (Where Karsh also had a small studio.) Finally, Kodak > discontinued making the product. I alerted Yousuf and he bought as many > bottles as he could find and all the rest we had at Kodak. > > Several years went by and one day I got a frantic phone call from > Karsh's assistant. "We are down to our last bottle of desensitizer!" he > blurted out and Karsh grabbed the phone and said, "Ken, you have got to > help me." Well it was not possible for Kodak to make any more in the > USA since one of the ingredients was now banned by the EPA. But I did > some research and found a company in Switzerland that did still make the > ingredient and they were willing to run off a batch of Kodak desenstizer > just for Karsh. Kodak paid for it. "You saved my career," said Karsh. > > Karsh often called me in Rochester with a question. He would track me > down when I was out on the road. I recall I was in Phoenix when the > phone rang very early one morning and it was Karsh. > > I am delighted that I was able to "save" Karsh's career. > > Ken Lassiter, Boynton Beach, FL > > > > -- > To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html > - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html