A remarkable series of four original doubleweight photographs of the eminent Russian conductor, composer and double-bass virtuoso. Best remembered for his long tenure as Music Director for the Boston Symphony Orchestra (1924-1949), he founded the Tanglewood Festical and was mentor to many American musicians, including Leonard Bernstein and Aaron Copland.

All from the same session in the early 1930s, showing the great BSO maestro in the same outfit in various poses. Each photograph is signed in the bottom margin by the portrait photographer, John Garo of Boston, who was the teacher and mentor of Yousuf Karsh. Each measures 8 x 10 inches (20 x 25 cm) and is in very fine condition apart from one which has a small area of ink stain around the wrist area (as shown).

When President Calvin Coolidge was asked to choose between the artist John Singer Sargent or the photographer John Garo to make his official presidential portrait, Coolidge chose Garo. Although largely unknown today, in the early years of the twentieth century, Garo was a nationally acclaimed photographer, a leader in the thriving Boston photographic community. Cultured and charming, Garo also painted watercolors, wrote poetry and counted among his friends luminaries in the worlds of music and theater. It was to this humanistic atmosphere of Garo's sky-lit studio that the fledgling photographer, Yousuf Karsh, a survivor of the 1915 Armenian Massacres, was sent by his uncle George Nakash to be Garo's apprentice. Garo was a nurturing and encouraging mentor. His three years with Garo transformed young Karsh's life and influenced his original desire to portray those personalities who made a positive impact on our world.