Identity area
Reference code
Beaton/A/A2/14a/63
Unique identifier
Title
Date(s)
- 27 June 1949 (Circa. Letter dated 'Monday 27th June'.) (Creation)
Level of description
Item
Extent and medium
7 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 a meeting, in London, with a possible director for his Gainsborough play, followed by a visit to Oxford. Details his holiday in Paris: staying with Diana Cooper, visiting Elsie [Mendl], attending a party given by Arturo Lopez's boy friend, staying with his 'little Greek friend', and seeing Tanis Guiness. Informs Garbo of a meeting with George Schlee, at which they talked about her. Refers to Garbo's letter to him. Discusses plans for the summer holidays. Details his activities since he returned to Reddish including visits from Tilly Losch and her ex-husband, and Peter [Watson].