Identity area
Reference code
Beaton/A/A2/14a/74
Unique identifier
Title
Date(s)
- 2 Apr. 1950 (Circa. Letter dated 'Sunday April 2nd'.) (Creation)
Level of description
Item
Extent and medium
4 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
Recalls a day, a week previous, walking with Garbo in the park to see Katie, and having lunch together. Wonders if it mattered that she was late for her two o'clock appointment. Speculates about her week, mentioning face massage and osteopath. Hopes that she has decided to lease the back alley in California. Suggests that 'the present arrangement of being indispensible and available...should be altered by gentle degrees' [referring to Garbo's relationship with George Schlee].Describes his journey back to England. Writes about his meeting with the Director and Stage Architect of 'The Second Mrs Tanqueray'. Praises the pictures he took of Garbo in the Sherry Netherland hotel which are 'as nice as those sad ones were horrid'. Criticises Olivier's production of 'Venus Observed' in London. Reports that he has been to the country house of a friend to copy a scene in her tapestry room, and has had dinner with a friend whose sister is the only girl among 9 lads. Complains that he has had trouble readjusting to home and mother after luxury of New York. His garden. Work on costumes and scenery. Complains about a newspaper clipping that he was sent about him and Garbo from New York. Hopes it won't make things difficult with George [Schlee]. Wonders if Garbo will visit in the summer. Mentions the David Cecils coming to tea and his visit to Clarissa's cottage.