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The National Portrait Gallery acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and to Elders both past and present.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander viewers are warned that this website contains images of deceased persons.

The Gallery’s Acknowledgement of Country, and information on culturally sensitive and restricted content and the use of historic language in the collection can be found here.

Sir Asher Joel

n.d.
Louis Kahan AO

pencil on paper (sheet: 44.5 cm x 32.5 cm)

Sir Asher Joel (1912-1998), public relations entrepreneur and state politician, started out as a copyboy at Sydney’s Daily Telegraph. In 1938 he joined the New South Wales committee organising the Australian celebration of the coronation of King George VI. Joel served on General MacArthur’s war agency staff in Brisbane in the 1940s and launched the Asher Joel Media Group in 1946. He was instrumental in the establishment of the Public Relations Institute of Australia. Joel masterminded many huge events including visits by the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh in 1963, President Lyndon Johnson in 1966 and Pope Paul in 1970. He oversaw the Captain Cook bicentenary events in 1970 and the opening of the Sydney Opera House. Joel was elected to the NSW Legislative Council as an independent in 1958, but joined the Country Party the following year. A founder and governor of the Australia-Israel Chamber of Commerce, he was the first Australian Jew made a Papal Knight. After retiring from politics in 1978, he wrote the book Australian Protocol and Procedures (1988).

Collection: National Portrait Gallery
Gift of Mrs Lily Kahan 2017
Donated through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program
© Louis Kahan/Copyright Agency, 2024

The National Portrait Gallery respects the artistic and intellectual property rights of others. Works of art from the collection are reproduced as per the Australian Copyright Act 1968 (Cth). The use of images of works from the collection may be restricted under the Act. Requests for a reproduction of a work of art can be made through a Reproduction request. For further information please contact NPG Copyright.

Artist and subject

Louis Kahan AO

Sir Asher Joel

Donated by

Lily Kahan (52 portraits)

© National Portrait Gallery 2024
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The National Portrait Gallery acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and to Elders past and present. We respectfully advise that this site includes works by, images of, names of, voices of and references to deceased people.

This website comprises and contains copyrighted materials and works. Copyright in all materials and/or works comprising or contained within this website remains with the National Portrait Gallery and other copyright owners as specified.

The National Portrait Gallery respects the artistic and intellectual property rights of others. The use of images of works of art reproduced on this website and all other content may be restricted under the Australian Copyright Act 1968 (Cth). Requests for a reproduction of a work of art or other content can be made through a Reproduction request. For further information please contact NPG Copyright.

The National Portrait Gallery is an Australian Government Agency