Identity area
Reference code
Beaton/A/A2/14a/46
Unique identifier
Title
Date(s)
- 28 Nov. 1948 (Circa. Letter dated 'Sunday 28th November'.) (Creation)
Level of description
Item
Extent and medium
2 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
Writes about his design work on plays starring Lawrence Olivier and John Gielgud. Regrets that the dock strike has delayed his return to New York. Looks forward to taking Garbo to visit the Empire State, Nella Webb, and Mr Klouskowsky. Plans his week in London, listing the plays that he will attend. Speculates that he has had no news from the Palace because they occupied with the King's illness.