Identity area
Reference code
Beaton/A/A2/14a/81
Unique identifier
Title
Date(s)
- 24 May 1950 (Circa. First page and therefore date missing, but the letter is in sequence between letters dated 21 and 28 May.) (Creation)
Level of description
Item
Extent and medium
1 p. paper
Context area
Name of creator
Biographical history
Photographer, artist, writer, and designer of scenery and costumes. Educated at Harrow and St John's College, Cambridge, 1922-5. Made his name as a photographer through portraits of the Sitwells. Employed by Vogue in London and New York. Published 'The Book of Beauty' (1930). Photographed the Duke of Windsor's wedding, 1937. War photographer, 1939-45. Designed 'Lady Windermere's Fan', 1945. Designed costumes for 'An Ideal Husband' and 'Anna Karenina', 1948. Worked on 'The School for Scandal', 1949, 'Quadrille' for Noel Coward, 1952, 'Turandot', 1961, and 'La Traviata', 1966. Designed costumes for 'My Fair Lady', 1956, and for the film version in Hollywood, 1963. His play 'The Gainsborough Girls', 1951 and 1959, was unsuccessful. Published 'The Glass of Fashion' (1954), and six volumes of diaries. Exhibited photographs at the National Portrait Gallery, 1968. Knighted 1972.
Repository
Archival history
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
Content and structure area
Scope and content
Page 1 missing. Mentions that he is writing a piece about the Christian Berard exhibition, and has been to the Oculist and the Osteopath. Writes that he accepted his secretary, Maud Nelson's resignation but she would not accept his acceptance. Misses his New York secretary, Miss Cleghorn. Reports that his mother has gone on holiday in France, and he will join her in Paris. First he will stay with Michael Duff in Wales. Asks for news of Garbo. Asks her if she misses Phillis and Constance, or him.