Photo of Winston Churchill Stolen from Ottawa Hotel

As reported by CBC, Canadian photographer Yousuf Karsh’s iconic photo of Winston Churchill was stolen from Ottawa’s Fairmont Château Laurier. Although the heist took place more than eight months ago, it was only recently discovered when a hotel employee noticed the print’s signature looked wrong.

The hotel contacted Jerry Fielder, director of Karsh’s estate, who asked to see a photo of the signature. Fielder confirmed the signature was a forgery. “I’ve seen that signature for 43 years,” he said. “So it took me just one second to know that someone had tried to copy it. It was a fake.”

The photo, known as the Roaring Lion, is perhaps the most famous image of Churchill. It was even used on England’s five-pound note. The thieves apparently swapped the original photograph with a copy. Based on images submitted by guests, hotel officials estimate the theft occurred between Christmas, 2021 and January 6, 2022. They are asking anyone who has images showing the photograph taken during that time to send them in.

“We are deeply saddened by this brazen act,” the hotel said in a statement. The hotel’s collection of Karsh prints includes 15 original photos by Karsh, six of which were hanging in the lounge. The hotel has removed the other five until they can be properly secured.

The Fairmont Château Laurier was beloved by Karsh. He held his first photography exhibition at the hotel in 1936 and opened a studio there in 1972. Karsh and his wife, Estrella, moved into the hotel in 1980. Before his death in 2022, Karsh gifted several signed original prints to the hotel.

Karsh was the only person who made prints from the negatives, and only a few copies of the photo exist. In 2020, another signed copy of an original print of the Roaring Lion sold at auction for $62,500 at Sotheby’s.

Karsh’s widow called the theft “a sad and stupid thing.” Genevieve Dumas, the hotel’s general manager, said, “It would be sad to leave that piece of history and that iconic symbol somewhere [other than] where it belongs, which is here at the Fairmont Château Laurier.”

The heist of the photo of Winston Churchill is currently under investigation by the Ottawa Police.