H. G. Wells

Karsh, Yousuf, 1908-2002 · 1943

When H. G. Wells, the brilliant political journalist and the founder of modern science fiction, met me at his door, his first remarks were about his Irish contemporary George Bernard Shaw, whom I had just photographed. "I see," he sniffed, "you have been wasting your time. When future generations unearth the ruins of London, they will see Shaw photographs, and more Shaw photographs, but, unfortunately, they will take him to be the typical Englishman.'' The literary rivalry between Shaw, the Irishman from the provinces, and Wells, the London-born former draper's shop assistant, dated from the turn of the century; the two future prophets of their generation had met for the first time as fledgling critics in 1895 at the London premiere of a play by the novelist Henry James (Karsh, 2003).