Four essays situate the work of Karsh within an art-historical context. Borcoman explores the art of the Karsh photograph; Jussim discusses the history and aesthetics of the `psychological portrait' in relation to the work of Karsh and his contemporaries; Pocock provides a biographical picture of Karsh, elaborating on the historical and social context within which the artist works; and Koltun describes the extent and archival value of the Karsh collection at the National Archives of Canada. This book is published to accompany an exhibition of Karsh's photographs at the National Gallery of Canada.