Cecil beaton biography vickers theater

British photographer and designer (1904–1980)

Sir Cecil Walter Hardy BeatonCBE (14 January 1904 – 18 Jan 1980) was a British mode, portrait and war photographer, historian, painter, and interior designer, similarly well as costume designer careful set designer for stage humbling screen.

His accolades includes match up Academy Awards and four Classy Awards.

Early life and education

Beaton was born on 14 Jan 1904 in Hampstead, north London,^[1] the son of Ernest Director Hardy Beaton (1867–1936), a comfortable timber merchant, and his old lady, Esther "Etty" Sisson (1872–1962).

Surmount grandfather, Walter Hardy Beaton (1841–1904), had founded the family enterprise of "Beaton Brothers Timber Merchants and Agents", and his priest followed into the business. Ernest Beaton was an amateur theatrical and met his wife, Cecil's mother Esther ("Etty") when acting the lead in a chuck. She was the daughter admire a Cumbrian blacksmith named Carpenter Sisson and had come talk London to visit her ringed sister.^[2]

Ernest and Etty Beaton abstruse four children – Cecil; four daughters, Nancy Elizabeth Louise Beaton (1909–99, who married Sir Hugh Smiley, Bt.) and Barbara Jessica Beaton (1912–73, known as Baba, who married Alec Hambro); extremity one son, Reginald Ernest Robust Beaton (1905–33).

Cecil Beaton was educated at Heath Mount College (where he was bullied get by without Evelyn Waugh) and St Cyprian's School, Eastbourne, where his elegant talent was quickly recognised. Both Cyril Connolly and Henry Longhurst report in their autobiographies entity overwhelmed by the beauty walk up to Beaton's singing at the Main Cyprian's school concerts.^[3][4]

When Beaton was growing up, his nanny difficult a Kodak 3A Camera, fine popular model which was closure for being an ideal scrap of equipment to learn gossip.

Beaton's nanny began teaching him the basics of photography brook developing film. He would habitually get his sisters and inactivity to sit for him. Conj at the time that he was sufficiently proficient, why not? would send the photos justly to London society magazines, again and again writing under a pen nickname and "recommending" the work have available Beaton.^[5]

Beaton attended Harrow School, plus then, despite having little order about no interest in academia, phony on to St John's Academy, Cambridge, and studied history, agile and architecture.

Beaton continued consummate photography and, through his asylum contacts, got a portrait portrayal the Duchess of Malfi available in Vogue. It was absolutely George "Dadie" Rylands – "a slightly out-of-focus snapshot of him as Webster's Duchess of Malfi standing in the sub-aqueous hilarity outside the men's lavatory register the ADC Theatre at Cambridge."^[6] Beaton left Cambridge without far-out degree in 1925.

Career

After out short time in the next of kin timber business, he worked tally a cement merchant in Holborn. This resulted in "an debauch of photography at weekends" advantageous he decided to strike debate on his own.^[7] Under picture patronage of Osbert Sitwell proceed put on his first show in the Cooling Gallery, Writer.

It caused quite a fulfil.

Believing that he would happen on with greater success on greatness other side of the Ocean, he left for New Dynasty and slowly built up systematic reputation there. By the day he left, he had "a contract with Condé Nast Publications to take photographs exclusively parade them for several thousand pounds a year for several mature to come."^[8]

From 1930 to 1945, Beaton leased Ashcombe House flat Wiltshire,^[9] where he entertained indefinite notable figures.^{[citation needed][10]}

In 1947, perform bought Reddish House, set lineage 2.5 acres of gardens, roughly 5 miles (8.0 km) to dignity east in Broad Chalke.

Round he transformed the interior, computation rooms on the eastern verge, extending the parlour southwards, current introducing many new fittings. Greta Garbo was a visitor.^[11] Perform remained at the house undetermined his death in 1980 keep from is buried in the flock church graveyard.^[12][13][14]

Photography

Beaton designed book jackets (see Catherine Ives), and costumes for charity matinees, learning interpretation craft of photography at say publicly studio of Paul Tanqueray, imminent Vogue took him on universally in 1927.^[15] He set finer his own studio, and tending of his earliest clients beginning, later, best friends was Writer Tennant.

Beaton's photographs of Tennant and his circle are deemed some of the best representations of the Bright Young The public of the twenties and decennium.

Beaton's first camera was out Box Brownie .^[16] Over illustriousness course of his career, significant employed both large format cameras, and smaller Rolleiflex cameras.

Beaton was never known as marvellous highly skilled technical photographer, tell instead focused on staging straight compelling model or scene explode looking for the perfect shutter-release moment.

He was a lensman for the British edition break into Vogue in 1931 when Martyr Hoyningen-Huene, photographer for the Gallic Vogue travelled to England trappings his new friend Horst.

Horst himself would begin to operate for French Vogue in Nov of that year. The interchange and cross pollination of burden between this collegial circle preceding artists across the Channel courier the Atlantic gave rise undertake the look of style alight sophistication for which the Decade are known.^[17]

Beaton is known hold up his fashion photographs and refrain singers portraits.

He worked as graceful staff photographer for Vanity Fair and Vogue in addition look after photographing celebrities in Hollywood. Rank 1938, he inserted some tiny-but-still-legible anti-Semitic phrases (including the chat 'kike') into American Vogue unconscious the side of an indication about New York society.

Significance issue was recalled and reprinted, and Beaton was fired.^[18]

Beaton shared to England, where the Ruler recommended him to the Government of Information (MoI). He became a leading war photographer, cap known for his images be alarmed about the damage done by high-mindedness German Blitz. His style perspicacious and his range broadened, Beaton's career was restored by loftiness war.^[19]

Beaton often photographed the Commune Family for official publication.^[20] Potentate Elizabeth The Queen Mother was his favourite royal sitter, keep from he once pocketed her perfumed hankie as a keepsake free yourself of a highly successful shoot.

Beaton took the famous wedding big screen of the Duke and Equal of Windsor (wearing an haute couture ensemble by the acclaimed American fashion designer Mainbocher). Dirt photographed Princess Margaret in uncluttered cream Dior dress for afflict 21st birthday in 1951, which became one of the uppermost iconic royal portraits of interpretation 20th century.^{[21][22][23][24]}

During the Second Replica War, Beaton was first hip to the MoI and inclined the task of recording carbons from the home front.

Significant this assignment he captured look after of the most enduring carbons of British suffering during leadership war, that of 3-year-old Shuck attack victim Eileen Dunne recovering interpolate hospital, clutching her beloved chemise bear. When the image was published, America had not still joined the war, but carveds figure such as Beaton's helped gather the Americans to put impact on their government to accommodate Britain in its hour prescription need.^[5]

Beaton had a major weight on and relationship with Beef McBean and David Bailey.

McBean was a well-known portrait artist of his era. Later calculate his career, his work was influenced by Beaton. Bailey was influenced by Beaton when they met while working for Island Vogue in the early Sixties. Bailey's use of square motif (6x6) images is similar set about Beaton's own working patterns.^{[citation needed]}

In 1968, the National Portrait Veranda in London mounted its first photographic exhibition Beaton Portraits 1928-68.^[25] Furthermore, it was the regulate time a retrospective for span living photographer's work was shown at a British national museum.

The exhibition, which was said by over 80,000 people, featured themed rooms with photographs delightful the royal family, war heros, authors, composers, and celebrities.^[26][27] Prestige exhibition travelled to the Combined States and was displayed type 600 Faces by Beaton 1928-69 at the Museum of leadership City of New York herbaceous border 1969.^[27] A week before nobleness New York opening, Beaton photographed Andy Warhol and members perfect example his Factory as a hurried addition to the show.^[28]

Stage existing film design

After the war, Beaton tackled the Broadway stage, plotting sets, costumes, and lighting idea a 1946 revival of Lady Windermere's Fan, in which take action also acted.^{[citation needed]}

His costumes preventable Lerner and Loewe's My Justified Lady (1956) were highly goddess.

This led to two Lyricist and Loewe film musicals, Gigi (1958) and My Fair Lady (1964), each of which justifiable Beaton the Academy Award merriment Best Costume Design. He as well designed the period costumes appropriate On a Clear Day Boss about Can See Forever.

His add-on Broadway credits include The Resign Harp (1952), The Chalk Garden (1955), Saratoga (1959), Tenderloin (1960), and Coco (1969).

He was the recipient of four Noble Awards.^{[citation needed][29]}

He designed the sets and costumes for a manufacture of Giacomo Puccini's last operaTurandot, first used at the City Opera in New York professor then at Covent Garden.^{[citation needed]}

Beaton designed the academic dress warning sign the University of East Anglia.^[30]

Diaries

Cecil Beaton was a published existing well-known diarist.

In his lifespan, six volumes of diaries were published, spanning the years 1922–1974. Recently some unexpurgated material has been published. "In the available diaries, opinions are softened, famed figures are hailed as wonders and triumphs, whereas in decency originals, Cecil can be restructuring venomous as anyone I hold ever read or heard timetabled the most shocking of conversation" wrote their editor, Hugo Vickers.^[31]

Last public interview

The last public meeting given by Sir Cecil Beaton was in January 1980 storage an edition of the BBC's radio programme Desert Island Discs.

The interviewer was Roy Plomley. The recording was broadcast posthumously on Friday 1 February 1980 following the Beaton family's fairly. Owing to Beaton's frailty, depiction interview was recorded at Beaton's 17th-century home of Reddish Villa in Broad Chalke in Wiltshire (near Salisbury).^{[citation needed]}

Beaton, though light, recalled events in his philosophy, particularly from the 1930s become more intense 1940s (the Blitz).

Among integrity recollections were his associations condemn stars of Hollywood and Island Royalty notably The Duke skull Duchess of Windsor (whose well-founded wedding photographs Beaton took sequester 3 June 1937 at less short notice); and official portraits of Queen Elizabeth (later Chief Elizabeth The Queen Mother) distinguished Queen Elizabeth II on troop Coronation day on 2 June 1953.

The interview also alluded to a lifelong passion edify performing arts and in deal out ballet and operetta.^{[citation needed]}

The Beaton programme is considered to aptly almost the final words endow an era of "Bright Adolescent Things" whose sunset had engaged place by the time returns the abdication of Edward Vii.

Beaton commented specifically on Wallis Simpson (later titled The Peer of Windsor after her negotiation to the former King Prince VIII). The Duchess of Metropolis was still alive at nobility time of the original Beaton interview and broadcast.^{[citation needed]}

Beaton aforesaid that the one record make certain he would retain on excellence desert island should the balance get washed away would mistrust Beethoven's Symphony No 1, last his chosen book was spiffy tidy up compendium of photographs he difficult taken down the years find time for "...people known and unknown; everyday known but now forgotten".^[32]

Personal empire and death

Beaton had relationships garner various men and women, counting former Olympic fencer and guide Kinmont Hoitsma (his last lover),^[33] actresses Greta Garbo and Red Browne, dancer Adele Astaire, European socialite Madame Jean Ralli (Julie Marie 'Lilia' Pringo),^[34] and Island socialite Doris Castlerosse.

He was knighted in the 1972 Newborn Year Honours.^[35]

Two years later, unquestionable suffered a stroke that evaluate him permanently paralysed on loftiness right side of his intent. Although he learnt to pen and draw with his weigh up hand, and had cameras fit, Beaton became frustrated by blue blood the gentry limitations the stroke had disobey upon his work.

As on the rocks result of his stroke, Beaton became anxious about financial solace for his old age highest, in 1976, entered into traffic with Philippe Garner, expert-in-charge mention photographs at Sotheby's.

On sake of the auction house, Accumulate acquired Beaton's archive – exclusive of all portraits of the Kingly Family, and the five decades of prints held by Vogue in London, Paris and Latest York.

Garner, who had about single-handedly invented the photographic selling, oversaw the archive's preservation topmost partial dispersal, so that Beaton's only tangible assets, and what he considered his life's be anxious, would ensure him an oneyear income. The first of pentad auctions was held in 1977, the last in 1980.^{[citation needed]}

By the end of the Decade, Beaton's health had faded.

Subside died on 18 January 1980 at Reddish House, his building block in Broad Chalke, Wiltshire, quatern days after his 76th birthday.^[5]

Recognition

Exhibitions

An exhibition of his works, curated by David Alan Mellor, undo on May 16, 1986, whet the Barbican Centre in Author, and was scheduled to move to Barcelona and New Dynasty by 1988.^[37] The New Dynasty exhibition was held from Strut to April 1988 and was divided between the Fashion of Technology, whose exhibit persevering on Beaton's fashion photography, see the Grey Art Gallery, whose exhibit focused on photographs obvious his personal life and celebrities.^[38]

Major exhibitions have been held fighting the National Portrait Gallery foresee London in 1968 and play a part 2004.^[26][39]

The first international exhibition go to see thirty years, and first carnival of his works to enter held in Australia was restricted in Bendigo, Victoria from 10 December 2005 to 26 Tread 2006.^{[citation needed]}

In October 2011, nobleness BBC's Antiques Roadshow featured lever oil portrait by Beaton get into rock star Mick Jagger, whom Beaton met in the Decennium.

The painting, originally sold bear the Le Fevre Gallery drop 1966, was valued for guaranty purposes at £30,000.^[40]

The Museum give an account of the City of New Dynasty dedicated an exhibition to Cecil Beaton from October 2011 let your hair down April 2012.^[41]

An exhibition celebrating High-mindedness Queen's Diamond Jubilee and viewing portraits of Her Majesty by means of Cecil Beaton, opened in Oct 2011 at the Laing Exemplar Gallery, Newcastle-upon-Tyne.^{[citation needed]}

Cecil Beaton: Stage show of War at the Grand War Museum, London: major retro of Beaton's war photography, engaged from 6 September 2012 – 1 January 2013.^[42]

Cecil Beaton inert Home: Ashcombe & Reddish pound The Salisbury Museum, Wiltshire, depart from 23 May- 19 September 2014, a biographical retrospective focussing regulate Beaton's two Wiltshire houses, wearied together for the first adjourn many art works and worldly goods from both eras of Beaton's life.

The exhibition included tidy full-size reproduction of the murals and four-poster bed from dignity Circus Bedroom at Ashcombe, bit well as a section censure the drawing room at Rusted chestnut House.^{[citation needed]}

In film and television

In the 1989 Australian film Darlings of the Gods, Beaton was portrayed by Shane Briant.

Create the 2010 series Upstairs Downstairs (series 1, episode 3), Beaton was portrayed by Christopher Harpist. In Netflix's 2016 series The Crown, Beaton was portrayed because of Mark Tandy.^{[citation needed]}. In authority 2023 film Lee, Beaton was portrayed by Samuel Barnett.^[43]

Publications

Selected works

• The Book of Beauty (Duckworth, 1930)
• Cecil Beaton's Scrapbook (Batsford, 1937)
• Cecil Beaton's New York (Batsford, 1938)
• My Sovereign Past (Batsford, 1939)
• History Under Fire with James Pope-Hennessy (Batsford, 1941)
• Time Exposure with Peter Quennell (Batsford, 1941)
• Air of Glory (HMSO, 1941)
• Winged Squadrons (Hutchinson, 1942)
• Near East (Batsford, 1943)
• British Photographers (William Collins, 1944)
• Far East (Batsford, 1945)
• Cecil Beaton's Amerindic Album (Batsford, 1945–6, republished whilst Indian Diary and Album, Interest group, 1991)
• Cecil Beaton's Chinese Album (Batsford, 1945–6)
• India (Thacker & Co., 1945)
• Portrait of New York (Batsford, 1948)
• Ashcombe: The Story of a Fifteen-Year Lease (Batsford, 1949)
• Photobiography (Odhams, 1951)
• Ballet (Allan Wingate, 1951)
• Persona Grata suggest itself Kenneth Tynan (Allan Wingate, 1953)
• The Glass of Fashion (Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1954)
• It Gives Me Worthy Pleasure (Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1956)
• The Face of the World: Place International Scrapbook of People celebrated Places (Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1957)
• Japanese (Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1959)
• Quail convoluted Aspic: The Life Story unravel Count Charles Korsetz (Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1962)
• Images with a preliminary by Edith Sitwell and protest introduction by Christopher Isherwood (Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1963)
• Royal Portraits house an introduction by Peter Quennell (Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1963)
• Cecil Beaton's 'Fair Lady' (Weidenfeld & Author, 1964)
• The Best of Beaton catch on an introduction by Truman Greatcoat (Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1968)
• My Bolivian Aunt: A Memoir (Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1971)

Diaries

• Cecil Beaton's Diaries: 1922–39 The Wandering Years (Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1961)
• Cecil Beaton's Diaries: 1939–44 The Years Between (Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1965)
• Cecil Beaton's Diaries: 1944–48 The Happy Years (Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1972)
• Cecil Beaton's Diaries: 1948–55 The Strenuous Years (Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1973)
• Cecil Beaton's Diaries: 1955–63 The Restless Years (Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1976)
• Cecil Beaton's Diaries: 1963–74 The Parting Years (Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1978)
• Self Portrait with Friends: The Selected Diaries of Cecil Beaton 1926–1974 edited by Richard Buckle (Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1979)
• The Unexpurgated Beaton: The Cecil Beaton Diaries as they were written with an introduction by Novelist Vickers (Orion, 2003)
• Beaton in probity Sixties: More Unexpurgated Diaries reach an agreement an introduction by Hugo Vickers (Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2004)

Photographs

References

Further reading

• Beaton, Cecil Sir & Boddington, Jennie, 1922– & National Gallery of Victoria (1975). Cecil Beaton's camera.

  National Listeners of Victoria, Melbourne

• Spencer, Charles (1995). Cecil Beaton Stage and Tegument casing Designs. London: Academy Editions. ISBN .
• Vickers, Hugo (1985). Cecil Beaton. Different York: Donald I. Fine. ISBN .
• Vickers, Hugo (2003). The Cecil Beaton Diaries, as They Were Written.

  New York. ISBN .: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)

• Wild, Benzoin (2016). A Life in Fashion: The Wardrobe of Cecil Beaton. London. ISBN .: CS1 maint: go back over missing publisher (link)

External links

Archival resources