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Sir Cecil Walter Hardy Beaton (14 January 1904 – 18 January 1980) was an English fashion and portrait photographer and an Academy Award-winning stage and costume designer for films and the theatre. Events 1129 - Formal approval of the Order of the Templar at the Council of Troyes. Year 1904 ( MCMIV) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year starting on Events 350 - Generallus Magnentius deposes Roman Emperor Constans and proclaims himself Emperor Year 1980 ( MCMLXXX) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar) England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland A photographer is a person who takes a Photograph using a Camera. "The Oscar" redirects here for the film see The Oscar (film. Scenic design (also known as stage design, set design or production design) is the creation of theatrical, as well as Film or Costume design is the Design of the appearance of the characters in a Theater or cinema performance Theatre (or theater, see spelling differences) is the branch of the Performing arts defined by Bernard Beckerman as what "occurs when one

Contents

Biography

Beaton was born in Hampstead the son of Ernest Beaton and his wife Etty Sissons. Hampstead is an area of London, England, located north-west of Charing Cross. His grandfather had founded the family business of Beaton Brothers Timber Merchants and Agents, and his father followed into the business. Ernest Beaton was also an amateur actor and had met his wife, Cecil's mother, when playing the lead in a play. Cecil Beaton was educated at Heath Mount School and St Cyprian's School, Eastbourne, where his artistic talent was quickly recognised. Heath Mount School is a co-educational prep school near Watton-at-Stone, Hertfordshire. St Cyprian's School was an English preparatory school for boys which operated in the early 20th century in Eastbourne, East Sussex. Eastbourne ( is a large town and borough of East Sussex, on the south coast of England with an estimated population of 94816 as of 2007 Both Cyril Connolly and Henry Longhurst report in their autobiographies being overwhelmed by the beauty of Beaton's singing at the St Cyprian's school concerts. Cyril Vernon Connolly ( 10 September 1903 - 26 November 1974) was an English intellectual literary critic and writer Henry Carpenter Longhurst ( 18 March 1909 &ndash 21 July 1978) was a renowned British Golf writer and commentator [1][2] When Beaton was growing up his Nanny had a Kodak 3A Camera, a popular model which was renowned for being an ideal piece of equipment to learn on. A nanny is a person who looks after the child or children of one family in the child's home Eastman Kodak Company ( is an American multinational Public company which produces imaging and photographic materials and equipment Beaton's nanny began teaching him the basics of photography and developing them in his basement. He would often get his sisters and mother to sit for him. When he was sufficiently proficient, he would send the photos off to London society magazines, often writing under a pen name and ‘recommending’ the work of Beaton. [3]

Beaton went on to Harrow, and then, despite having little or no interest in academia, moved on to St John's College, Cambridge, and studied history, art and architecture. St John's College, an institution known formally as The Master Fellows and Scholars of the College of St John the Evangelist in the University of Cambridge is a The University of Cambridge (often Cambridge University) located in Cambridge, England, is the second-oldest university in the Beaton continued his photography, and through his university contacts managed to get a portrait sitting with the Duchess of Amalfi — actually George "Dadie" Rylands, and as Beaton recalled years later: "It was a slightly out-of-focus snapshot of him as Webster's Duchess of Malfi standing in the sub-aqueous light outside the men's lavatory of the ADC Theatre at Cambridge. Republic or Duchy of Amalfi was a de facto independent state centred on the south Italian city of the same name during the tenth and eleventh George Humphrey Wolferstan Rylands CH CBE ( 23 October 1902 &ndash 16 January 1999) known as Dadie Rylands, was "[4] The resulting images gave Beaton his first ever piece of published work when Vogue magazine bought and printed the photos. Vogue is a Fashion and lifestyle Magazine published in eighteen countries by Condé Nast Publications. [3]

Beaton left Cambridge without a degree in 1925, but only coped with salaried employment in his father's timber business for eight days. [4]

Career

Photography

Beaton designed book jackets and costumes for charity matinees, learning the professional craft of photography at the studio of Paul Tanqueray, until Vogue took him on regularly in 1927. Paul Tanqueray ( 14 January, 1905 - September 1991 was an English photographer. [4] He also set up his own studio, and one of his earliest clients and, later, best friends was Stephen Tennant; Beaton's photographs of Tennant and his circle are considered some of the best representations of the "Bright Young Things" of the twenties and thirties. The Honourable Stephen James Napier Tennant ( 21 April 1906 - 28 February 1987) was a British aristocrat known for his Decadent

He was a photographer for the British edition of Vogue in 1931 when George Hoyningen-Huene, photographer for the French Vogue traveled to England with his new friend Horst. Baron George Hoyningen-Huene (1900 - 1968 was a seminal Fashion photographer of the 1920s and 1930s Horst P Horst, most often known as just Horst, ( August 14, 1906 – November 18, 1999) was a German American photographer Horst himself would begin to work for French Vogue in November of that year. The exchange and cross pollination of ideas between this collegial circle of artists across the Channel and the Atlantic gave rise to the look of style and sophistication for which the 1930s are known. [5]

Beaton is best known for his fashion photographs and society portraits. He worked as a staff photographer for Vanity Fair and Vogue in addition to photographing celebrities in Hollywood. Vanity Fair is an American magazine of Culture, Fashion, and Politics published by Condé Nast Publications. Vogue is a Fashion and lifestyle Magazine published in eighteen countries by Condé Nast Publications.

Beaton's first camera was a Kodak 3A folding camera. Over the course of his career, he employed both large format cameras, and smaller Rolleiflex cameras. Large format describes large Photographic films large cameras View cameras (including Pinhole cameras and processes that use a film or digital sensor Rolleiflex is the name of a long-running and diverse line of high-end Cameras made by the German company Rollei. Beaton was never known as a highly skilled technical photographer, and instead focused on staging a compelling model or scene and looking for the perfect shutter-release moment.

Beaton often photographed the Royal Family for official publication. [6] Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother was his favourite Royal sitter, and he once pocketed her scented hankie as a keepsake from a highly successful shoot. Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon (Elizabeth Angela Marguerite 4 August 1900 &ndash 30 March 2002 was the Queen Consort of King George Beaton took the famous wedding pictures of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor (wearing an ensemble by the noted fashion designer Mainbocher). Wallis Duchess of Windsor (born Bessie Wallis Warfield, later Spencer, then Simpson; 19 June 1895 or 1896 &ndash 24 April 1986 was an American Mainbocher (1891–1976 (born Main Rousseau Bocher) was an American couturier who operated Fashion houses in Paris and later

During the Second World War, Beaton was initially posted to the Ministry of Information and given the task of recording images from the home front. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including The Minister of Information is a British government position that was created briefly during the First World War and again during the Second World During this assignment he captured one of the most enduring images of British suffering during the war, that of three-year-old Blitz victim Eileen Dunne recovering in hospital, clutching her beloved teddy bear. The Blitz was the sustained bombing of Britain by Nazi Germany between 7 September 1940 and 10 May 1941 in World War II. When the image was published, America had not yet officially joined the war — but splashed across the press in the USA, images such as Beaton’s helped push the American public to put pressure on their Government to help Britain in its hour of need. [3]

Beaton had a major influence on and relationship with two other leading lights in British photography, that of Angus McBean and David Bailey. Angus McBean ( June 8, 1904 - June 9, 1990) was a Welsh photographer associated with Surrealism. David Bailey CBE (born 2 January 1938 in Leytonstone, London) is a celebrated English Photographer. McBean was arguably the best portrait photographer of his era — in the second part of McBeans career (post war) his work is clearly heavily influenced by Beaton, though arguably McBean was technically far more proficient in his execution. Bailey was also enormously influenced by Beaton when they met whilst working for British Vogue in the early 1960s, Bailey's stark use of square format (6x6) images bears clear connections to Beaton's own working patterns.

Stage and film design

The cover of Cecil Beaton's Fair Lady Beaton's diary of working on the film
The cover of Cecil Beaton's Fair Lady Beaton's diary of working on the film

After the war, Beaton tackled the Broadway stage, designing sets, costumes, and lighting for a 1946 revival of Lady Windermere's Fan, in which he also acted. Broadway theater, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 39 large professional theaters with 500 seats or more located Lady Windermere's Fan A Play About a Good Woman is a four act Comedy by Oscar Wilde, first produced 22 February 1892 at the

His most lauded achievement for the stage was the sets and costumes for Lerner and Loewe's My Fair Lady (1956), which led to two Lerner and Loewe film musicals, Gigi (1958) and My Fair Lady (1964), both of which earned Beaton the Academy Award for Costume Design. Lerner and Loewe are the American Musical comedy writing team of Lyricist and Librettist Alan Jay Lerner and composer Frederick My Fair Lady is a musical based upon George Bernard Shaw 's Pygmalion and with book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner Not to be confused with Gigli. Gigi is a 1958 motion picture musical set in Paris France. My Fair Lady is a musical Film adaptation of the Lerner and Loewe stage musical My Fair Lady, based in turn on the play This Academy Award was first given for movies made in 1948 when separate awards were given for black-and-white and color movies He also designed the period costumes for the 1970 film On a Clear Day You Can See Forever. On a Clear Day You Can See Forever is a 1970 American musical / romantic fantasy Film directed by Vincente Minnelli

Additional Broadway credits include The Grass Harp (1952), The Chalk Garden (1955), Saratoga (1959), Tenderloin (1960), and Coco (1969). The Grass Harp is a 1951 Novel by Truman Capote. Plot introduction The story focuses on an Orphaned boy and two elderly The Chalk Garden by Enid Bagnold has been produced as a 1955 play a 1964 film a 1971 revival and a 2008 play Saratoga is a musical with a book by Morton DaCosta, lyrics by Johnny Mercer, and music by Harold Arlen. Tenderloin is a musical with a book by George Abbott and Jerome Weidman, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, and music by Jerry Bock Coco is a musical with a book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by André Previn. He is the winner of four Tony Awards. The Antoinette Perry Awards for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Awards, recognize achievement in live American Theatre and are presented

Personal life

In 1972, he was knighted. Knight is the English term for a social position originating in the Middle Ages. Two years later he suffered a stroke that would leave him permanently paralysed on the right side of his body. Although he learnt to write and draw with his left hand, and had cameras adapted, Beaton became frustrated by the new limitations the stroke had put upon his work. As a result of his stroke, Beaton became anxious about financial security for his old age and, in 1976, entered into negotiations with Philippe Garner, expert-in-charge of photographs at Sotheby's. Sotheby's ( is the world's second oldest Auction house in continuous operation (the oldest being Stockholms Auktionsverk founded in 1674 On behalf of the auction house, Garner acquired Beaton's archive — excluding all portraits of the Royal Family, and the five decades of prints held by Vogue in London, Paris and New York. Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous Garner, who had almost singlehandedly invented the photographic auction, oversaw the archive's preservation and partial dispersal, so that Beaton's only tangible assets, and what he considered his life's work, would ensure him an annual income. The first of five auctions was held in 1977, the last in 1980.

By the end of the 1970s, Beaton's health had faded to that of an old man. In January 1980, he died during the night at his grand home in Broad Chalke in Wiltshire. Broad Chalke, sometimes spelt Broadchalke (by Salisbury DC Broad Chalk or Broadchalk is a village and Civil parish in the Salisbury district of Wiltshire [3]

The great love of his life was the art collector Peter Watson, although they were never lovers. Victor William (Peter Watson ( September 14 1908 – May 3 1956) was a wealthy English art collector and benefactor He had relationships with various men, and claimed to have had an affair with the American actor Gary Cooper, who was a close friend of his for many years. Frank James “Gary” Cooper (May 7 &ndashMay 13) was an American film actor and iconic star He also had relationships with some women, including the actress Greta Garbo and the British socialite Doris, Viscountess Castlerosse. Greta Garbo ( 18 September 1905 &ndash 15 April 1990) was a Swedish-American actress during Hollywood 's His heterosexual virginity was taken by the American socialite Marjorie Oelrichs. Marjorie Oelrichs Duchin (1908 - 1937 nicknamed "Bubbles" was an American socialite

Work

Photographs

Bibliography

Exhibitions

Major exhibitions have been held at the National Portrait Gallery in London in 1968 and in 2004. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom.

The first international exhibition in thirty years, and first exhibition of his works to be held in Australia was held in Bendigo, Victoria from 10 December 2005 to 26 March 2006. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. Bendigo is a regional city in central Victoria Australia, located in the City of Greater Bendigo. Events 1041 - Empress Zoe of Byzantium elevates her adoptive son to the throne of the Eastern Roman Empire as Michael V Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1026 - Pope John XIX crowns Conrad II as Holy Roman Emperor. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar.

References

  1. ^ Connolly, Cyril (1938). Enemies of Promise. London: G. Routledge & sons, ltd. . OCLC 123103671. The OCLC Online Computer Library Center is according to its website a "nonprofit membership computer library service and research organization dedicated to the public purpose  
  2. ^ Longhurst, Henry (1971). My Life and Soft Times. London: Cassell. ISBN 0304938491.  
  3. ^ a b c d "Cecil Beaton", Fyne Times, 2006. Retrieved on 2008-05-09. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 1457 BC - Battle of Megiddo (15th century BC between Thutmose III and a large Canaanite coalition under the King of  
  4. ^ a b c Robin Muir. "The Beaton Generation", The Independent, 1 February 2004. Retrieved on 2008-05-09. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 1457 BC - Battle of Megiddo (15th century BC between Thutmose III and a large Canaanite coalition under the King of  
  5. ^ Time writers. "Too, Too Vomitous", Time, 02 February 1931. Retrieved on 2008-05-09. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 1457 BC - Battle of Megiddo (15th century BC between Thutmose III and a large Canaanite coalition under the King of  
  6. ^ V&A Exploring Photography: Sir Cecil Beaton. Victoria and Albert Museum. Retrieved on 2008-05-10. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 1291 - Scottish Nobles recognize the authority of Edward I of England.

External links


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