Identity area
Reference code
Beaton/A/A2/14a/114
Unique identifier
Title
Date(s)
- 17 Apr. 1952 (Creation)
Level of description
Item
Extent and medium
3 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
Tells Garbo about his anxiety on losing a piece of luggage on the way back from America and his relief on finding it again. Describes Spring at Reddish. Mentions his mother. Reflects on his recent trip to America and his return journey on a ship where he knew no one on board except the Lunts. Refers to his household staff including Mrs Murdock, Mrs Shoot and 'a nice old Scotch woman'. Mentions contact with Juliet and Simon, 'the schoolmeister', Hal Burton, Clarissa and Peter Watson. Plans possibly to go on holiday in Italy with Truman Capote. Hopes that Garbo will make the journey to England. Refers to her as a victim of moral blackmail. Postscript: records Sydney Herbert's description of London at the time of the King's funeral.