Churchill photo stolen in Canada discovered in Italy
An original print of the iconic “The Roaring Lion” photograph of Winston Churchill has been discovered in Italy after going missing from an Ottawa hotel and being replaced with a counterfeit.
The 1941 image, captured by Yousuf Karsh shortly after Churchill’s wartime address to Canada’s parliament, was found in the possession of a private buyer in Genoa, Italy, who was unaware of its stolen status.
On Wednesday, Ottawa police reported the recovery of the portrait and announced the arrest of a man from Powassan, Ontario, in connection with the theft and illegal sale. The 43-year-old man, whose identity is protected by a publication ban, faces multiple charges in Canada, including forgery, theft, trafficking, and property damage. He was apprehended on April 25 and appeared in an Ottawa court the following day.
The photograph captures Churchill, the British wartime Prime Minister, on Parliament Hill, shortly after Karsh famously removed a cigar from his mouth. Karsh recalled, “I held out an ashtray, but he refused to dispose of it…I waited; he continued to chomp vigorously at his cigar. I waited.” He then added, “Then I stepped toward him and, without premeditation but with respect, said ‘forgive me sir’ and plucked the cigar from his mouth.”
By the time Karsh returned to his camera, he noted that Churchill looked “so belligerent he could have devoured me.”
A staff member at the Château Laurier hotel first noticed the photograph had been replaced on 19 August, 2022.
“We are deeply saddened by this brazen act,” the hotel’s general manager said in a statement at the time.
Police believe the photo was stolen sometime between 25 December 2021 and 6 January 2022, amid strict Covid lockdowns.
Police say the photo – one of the most famous portraits ever made and which also appears on the UK £5 bank note – was sold through an auction house in London to a private buyer in Italy.
“Both of whom were unaware that the piece was stolen,” police said in their statement.
The suspect was identified by tips submitted by the public, forensic analysis and by using “open-source research”, police say.
Later this month, Canadian investigators will travel to Rome to attend a ceremony in which the unidentified buyer will formally return the artwork.
“Once in Ottawa Police custody, the portrait will be ready for the last step of its journey home to the Fairmont Château Laurier, where it will once again be displayed as a notable historic portrait,” police said.
