Identity area
Reference code
Beaton/A/A2/14a/59
Unique identifier
Title
Date(s)
- 23 May 1949 (Circa. Letter dated 'Monday morning. May 25???'.) (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
Reports the developments in his garden at Reddish House. Mentions that Michael came to stay for the weekend. Details a theatre and sightseeing trip to Stratford-upon-Avon with Terence Rattigan. Writes about a visit to Longleat with David to take pictures of the family there and a dinner party at Reddish for Alice Astor. Mentions that his secretary, Maud Nelson is back at work.