Identity area
Reference code
Beaton/A/A2/14a/87
Unique identifier
Title
Date(s)
- 16 July 1950 (Circa. Letter dated 'July 16th Sunday'.) (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
Hopes Garbo is not lonely in the alley. Mentions that he was in London and suffering from nervous exhaustion. Describes the opening night of the American Ballet at Covent Garden. Describes a splendid party funded by Otto Kahn's fortune. Mentions another party. Writes about his trip to see 'H.M.S. Pinafore'. Refers to his diet. Details the frustrations he has faced in trying to put on his Gainsborough play. Considers changing his career from photographer to playwright. Refers to Elsie Mendl's death. Writes that she suffered so much that she asked Charles to give her poison on several occasions. Details how he has been spending his time at Reddish