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Ida Kar

(1908-1974), Photographer

Sitter in 137 portraits
Artist associated with 1567 portraits
Photographer, born in Tambov, near Moscow. Kar was influenced by the Paris avant-garde whilst studying there in 1928 and subsequently established her photographic practice 'Idabel' in Cairo with her first husband, Edmond Belali, in 1933. She moved to London in 1945 with her second husband, the artist and critic Victor Musgrave. With the opening of Musgrave's Gallery One in D'Arblay Street, Soho, Kar photographed and exhibited Forty Artists from Paris and London (1954), however the height of her success was her well-received Whitechapel Gallery one-person show in 1960. Her most celebrated portraits document the bohemian social circle of artists and writers in which she moved.

More on Ida Kar: Biography | Timeline | Whitechapel Art Gallery exhibition, 1960

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Henry Moore; Ida Kar, by Ida Kar - NPG x134702

Henry Moore; Ida Kar

by Ida Kar
2 1/4 inch square film negative, March 1960
NPG x134702

Henry Moore; Ida Kar, by Ida Kar - NPG x134703

Henry Moore; Ida Kar

by Ida Kar
2 1/4 inch square film negative, March 1960
NPG x134703

Ida Kar signing catalogues at her exhibition in Moscow, by B. Baldin - NPG x133332

Ida Kar signing catalogues at her exhibition in Moscow

by B. Baldin
vintage bromide print, 4 April 1962
NPG x133332

Ida Kar at the opening of her exhibition in Moscow, by Unknown photographer - NPG x133331

Ida Kar at the opening of her exhibition in Moscow

by Unknown photographer
vintage bromide print, 4 April 1962
NPG x133331

Ida Kar with her enlargements of Marc Chagall, Georges Braque and Noël Coward, by London Express News and Feature Services - NPG x133330

Ida Kar with her enlargements of Marc Chagall, Georges Braque and Noël Coward

by London Express News and Feature Services
vintage bromide print, 1962
NPG x133330

Ida Kar, by Ida Kar, assisted by  Julieta Preston (Julie Green) - NPG x133333

Ida Kar

by Ida Kar, assisted by Julieta Preston (Julie Green)
vintage contact sheet, circa 1962
NPG x133333

The photographer and the photographed' (Ida Kar), by Julieta Preston (Julie Green) - NPG x133334

The photographer and the photographed' (Ida Kar)

by Julieta Preston (Julie Green)
vintage bromide print, 1962-1963
NPG x133334

Ida Kar, by Julieta Preston (Julie Green) - NPG x133335

Ida Kar

by Julieta Preston (Julie Green)
vintage bromide print, 1962
NPG x133335

Ida Kar, by Ida Kar, assisted by  Julieta Preston (Julie Green) - NPG x88688

Ida Kar

by Ida Kar, assisted by Julieta Preston (Julie Green)
2 1/4 inch square film negative, 1962
NPG x88688

Ida Kar, by Brian Robins - NPG x134034

Ida Kar

by Brian Robins
2 1/4 inch square film negative, 1962
NPG x134034

Ida Kar, by Ida Kar - NPG x134036

Ida Kar

by Ida Kar
2 1/4 inch square film negative, 1962
NPG x134036

Ida Kar outside the House of Friendship in Moscow, by Unknown photographer - NPG x134095

Ida Kar outside the House of Friendship in Moscow

by Unknown photographer
vintage bromide print, 1962
NPG x134095

Ida Kar with schoolgirls at her exhibition in Moscow, by B. Baldin - NPG x134208

Ida Kar with schoolgirls at her exhibition in Moscow

by B. Baldin
vintage bromide print, 4 April 1962
NPG x134208

Ida Kar; Martiros Saryan, by Ida Kar - NPG x134216

Ida Kar; Martiros Saryan

by Ida Kar
2 1/4 inch square film negative, 1962
NPG x134216

Ida Kar; Martiros Saryan, by Ida Kar - NPG x134217

Ida Kar; Martiros Saryan

by Ida Kar
2 1/4 inch square film negative, 1962
NPG x134217

Ida Kar at the opening of her exhibition in Moscow, by Unknown photographer - NPG x134224

Ida Kar at the opening of her exhibition in Moscow

by Unknown photographer
vintage bromide print, 4 April 1962
NPG x134224

Ida Kar with her portrait of Eugène Ionesco, by V. Stepanets - NPG x134223

Ida Kar with her portrait of Eugène Ionesco

by V. Stepanets
vintage bromide print, 15 April 1962
NPG x134223

Ida Kar at the opening of her exhibition in Moscow, by Unknown photographer - NPG x134225

Ida Kar at the opening of her exhibition in Moscow

by Unknown photographer
vintage bromide print, 4 April 1962
NPG x134225

Ida Kar, by Ida Kar - NPG x134334

Ida Kar

by Ida Kar
2 1/4 inch square film negative, 1962
NPG x134334

Ida Kar, by Ida Kar - NPG x134335

Ida Kar

by Ida Kar
2 1/4 inch square film negative, 1962
NPG x134335

Ida Kar, by Ida Kar - NPG x134483

Ida Kar

by Ida Kar
2 1/4 inch square film negative, 1962
NPG x134483

Ida Kar and her friend the Orangutan', by Klaus Spek - NPG x133336

Ida Kar and her friend the Orangutan'

by Klaus Spek
vintage bromide print, 1963
NPG x133336

Ida Kar, by Unknown photographer - NPG x133337

Ida Kar

by Unknown photographer
Agfa print, 11 September 1963
NPG x133337

Ida Kar, by Unknown photographer - NPG x133338

Ida Kar

by Unknown photographer
Agfa print, 11 September 1963
NPG x133338

Ida Kar, by Unknown photographer - NPG x134226

Ida Kar

by Unknown photographer
2 1/4 inch square colour transparency, 11 September 1963
NPG x134226

Ida Kar in Cuba, by Unknown photographer - NPG x134011

Ida Kar in Cuba

by Unknown photographer
2 1/4 inch square film negative, 1964
NPG x134011

Ida Kar and an unknown man, by Unknown photographer - NPG x134012

Ida Kar and an unknown man

by Unknown photographer
2 1/4 inch square film negative, 1964
NPG x134012

Ida Kar hanging her Cuba show at Hamiltons Gallery, by R. Chowen, for  Evening Standard - NPG x132374

Ida Kar hanging her Cuba show at Hamiltons Gallery

by R. Chowen, for Evening Standard
vintage bromide print, 8 February 1965
NPG x132374

Ida Kar next to her portrait 'Sensuality' at her Cuba exhibition at Hamiltons Gallery, by R. Chowen, for  Evening Standard - NPG x132375

Ida Kar next to her portrait 'Sensuality' at her Cuba exhibition at Hamiltons Gallery

by R. Chowen, for Evening Standard
vintage bromide print, 8 February 1965
NPG x132375

Ida Kar at her Cuba show at Hamiltons Gallery, by Unknown photographer - NPG x132376

Ida Kar at her Cuba show at Hamiltons Gallery

by Unknown photographer
vintage bromide print, 9 February 1965
NPG x132376

Pablo Armando Fernández; Ida Kar, by Unknown photographer - NPG x132377

Pablo Armando Fernández; Ida Kar

by Unknown photographer
vintage bromide print, 9 February 1965
NPG x132377

Ida Kar at the London Zoo, by Roger Hill - NPG x135224

Ida Kar at the London Zoo

by Roger Hill
vintage bromide print on board, 20 August 1965
NPG x135224

Ida Kar, by J.S. Lewinski - NPG x135937

Ida Kar

by J.S. Lewinski
2 1/4 inch square film negative, July 1965
NPG x135937

Ida Kar, by J.S. Lewinski - NPG x135938

Ida Kar

by J.S. Lewinski
2 1/4 inch square film negative, July 1965
NPG x135938

Ida Kar, by Julieta Preston (Julie Green) - NPG x134227

Ida Kar

by Julieta Preston (Julie Green)
2 1/4 inch square colour transparency, late 1960s
NPG x134227

Ida Kar at Speakers' Corner, by Unknown photographer - NPG x133324

Ida Kar at Speakers' Corner

by Unknown photographer
vintage bromide print, 1968
NPG x133324

Ida Kar; Victor Musgrave, by John Malcolm Couzins - NPG x134105

Ida Kar; Victor Musgrave

by John Malcolm Couzins
modern bromide print, 1968
NPG x134105

Ida Kar; Victor Musgrave, by John Malcolm Couzins - NPG x134106

Ida Kar; Victor Musgrave

by John Malcolm Couzins
modern bromide print, 1968
NPG x134106

Ida Kar and an unknown man, by Uriesco - NPG x134107

Ida Kar and an unknown man

by Uriesco
vintage bromide print, 29 February 1968
NPG x134107

Ida Kar and an unknown man, by Uriesco - NPG x134460

Ida Kar and an unknown man

by Uriesco
2 1/4 inch square colour transparency, 29 February 1968
NPG x134460

Ida Kar, by Uriesco - NPG x134461

Ida Kar

by Uriesco
2 1/4 inch square colour transparency, 29 February 1968
NPG x134461

Ida Kar, by Uriesco - NPG x134462

Ida Kar

by Uriesco
2 1/4 inch square colour transparency, 29 February 1968
NPG x134462

John Malcolm Couzins; Ida Kar, by Unknown photographer - NPG x134463

John Malcolm Couzins; Ida Kar

by Unknown photographer
2 1/4 inch square colour transparency, 1968
NPG x134463

John Malcolm Couzins; Ida Kar, by Unknown photographer - NPG x134464

John Malcolm Couzins; Ida Kar

by Unknown photographer
2 1/4 inch square colour transparency, 1968
NPG x134464

John Malcolm Couzins; Ida Kar, by Unknown photographer - NPG x134465

John Malcolm Couzins; Ida Kar

by Unknown photographer
2 1/4 inch square colour transparency, 1968
NPG x134465

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