One of his most famous photographic portraits. Winston Churchill stolen and then replaced with a replica in her luxury hotel Ottawa, as reported a few days ago by the hotel management, asking anyone with information that could help in the investigation to find him.

It is impressive that the staff of the Chateau Laurier they did not understand that the historical portrait took off it wasn’t until a few months after the theft that they realized that this frame was different from the rest of the famous photographer’s collection. Yusuf Kars.

The photograph is believed to have been stolen in space. in the period from December 25, 2021 to January 6, 2022 “Someone probably wanted this photo, either for their private collection or for sale,” the hotel manager said. Genevieve Dimas, while Chateau Laurier’s clients sent photographs of the work to establish the date of the theft.

The cost of a historical portrait of Winston Churchill is estimated at about $100,000.

This photograph is one of Winston Churchill’s most iconic and featured on the £5 note. Churchill in the hall of the Canadian Parliament in Ottawa. 1941 a few seconds after Yusuf Kars took a drag on the cigar in his mouth. “He looked so hostile he could have eaten me,” the photographer later said.

It is “part of the history of Mr Kars, the history of the hotel and the history of Canada and Britain during the war,” says Geneviève Dumas, who says she is “deeply saddened by this brazen theft.”

Canadian police launched an investigation to identify the portrait and, of course, the thief, after examining footage from the hotel’s security cameras. However, identifying the perpetrator can be a difficult task, notes Genevieve Dumas, recalling that due to protection measures against Covid-19, it is very likely that the thief was wearing a mask.

With information from APE-MPE.