Beatrice Bohun Harrison
1 portrait by Dorothy Wilding
© William Hustler and Georgina Hustler / National Portrait Gallery, London
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Beatrice Bohun Harrison
by Dorothy Wilding
whole-plate glass negative, 1923
Given by Mrs Dawn Guiver, 1991
Photographs Collection
NPG x36710
Artistback to top
- Dorothy Wilding (1893-1976), Photographer. Artist or producer associated with 2179 portraits, Sitter in 30 portraits.
Linked publicationsback to top
- Robin Gibson, Pets in Portraits, 2015, p. 109 Read entry
Even considering the extraordinary proliferation of musical siblings in the early part of the century (the D’Aranyi sisters for example), the four Harrison sisters remain quite exceptional. Beatrice was the outstanding British cellist of her generation, often ranked at the time with Pablo Casals. Her older sister, Margaret, was a pianist and violinist, the third sister, May, an exceptional violinist and the youngest, Monica, a singer. Beatrice was on intimate terms both with the Royal Family and with leading composers of the day: Bax and Delius wrote cello concertos for her, and Delius his double concerto for her and for May, who were both also celebrated for their interpretation of the Brahms double concerto.
In 1923, shortly before this photograph was taken, the family moved to a house near Oxted in Surrey, where Beatrice discovered that there were nightingales in the wood at the bottom of the garden and, more excitingly, that she could accompany them on her cello while they sang. The BBC agreed to attempt an outside broadcast, which was finally successful in May 1924 and caused a sensation. In her autobiography, Beatrice devotes more attention to the nightingales than to her dogs, of which she admits to sixteen in the household, along with assorted reptiles, birds, seven cats, a parrot and a donkey. Described somewhat coyly as ‘a pupil’ when the shot was published in Tatler, this nameless black Scottie was obviously a special favourite and appears with her in another photo of about this time, taken in the garden. After the Second World War, and when her concert career was in decline, Beatrice joined her sister Margaret and a friend in breeding Irish wolfhounds.
Events of 1923back to top
Current affairs
Stanley Baldwin begins the first of three terms of government as Conservative Prime Minister following the resignation of Andrew Bonar Law.Art and science
Bolton Wanderers beat West Ham United in the first FA Cup Final at Wembley Stadium. The Cup Final was held at Wembley every year except during the war until 2000.International
Hitler attempts to take power in Germany with the Munich Beer Hall Putsch. On the 8th November Hitler and the SA stormed a meeting of the ruling 'triumvirs' forcing them to support a march on Berlin. The coup, however, failed and Hitler was arrested and sentences to five years in prison.Comments back to top
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