Identity area
Reference code
Beaton/A/A2/14a/129
Unique identifier
Title
Date(s)
- 28 May 1956 (Circa. Letter dated 'May 28 Tuesday'.) (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
Regrets that Garbo is too ill to visit him in England. Writes that his plans to travel to New York in September are still unconfirmed. Describes Spring at his house. Mentions Mrs Rokeby, his new cook, after whom he has named Garbo. Sends news of Mrs Rokeby's husband. Refers to his domestic business, including decorating and his gardeners. Mentions Clarissa Eden.