Joyce Grenfell
1 portrait matching these criteria:
- set matching 'Vintage photographs by Angus McBean'
Angus McBean Photograph. © Harvard Theatre Collection, Harvard University.
Share this
Joyce Grenfell
by Angus McBean
bromide print, 1947
11 7/8 in. x 14 7/8 in. (302 mm x 377 mm)
Purchased, 2001
Primary Collection
NPG P897
Artistback to top
- Angus McBean (1904-1990), Photographer. Artist or producer associated with 283 portraits, Sitter in 79 portraits.
Linked publicationsback to top
- Pepper, Terence, Angus McBean Portraits, 2006 (accompanying the exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery from 5 July to 22 October 2006), p. 86 Read entry
Actress and broadcaster Joyce Grenfell was a niece of the politician Nancy Astor and started her career as a radio critic before making her stage debut in March 1939 in The Little Revue. For this she composed an act loosely based on a Women’s Institute talk on 'Useful and Acceptable Gifts'. The Times later described her talent as the ability 'to show off the quirks and oddities of English feminine character'. Grenfell became an immediate success and devised many monologues, notably the Nursery School series ('George dear – don’t do that'). In the 1940s and 1950s she appeared in numerous plays and films. At the time of this photograph she was in Tuppence Coloured, which she followed in 1951 with Penny Plain. In 1954 she had her own show at the Fortune Theatre, Joyce Grenfell Requests the Pleasure.
Events of 1947back to top
Current affairs
Princess Elizabeth marries Philip Mountbatten at Westminster Abbey. Philip renounced his title of Prince of Greece and Denmark, to become Duke of Edinburgh when he married the heir to the throne.Art and science
The first Edinburgh Festival includes performances by Kathleen Ferrier, Alec Guinness and Margot Fonteyn. The Festival is now a major annual international arts event that takes place over three weeks every August, and includes top class performers in theatre, music and dance as well as lesser-known performers who take part in the parallel 'Fringe Festival'.International
India is granted independence from the British Empire and the former British Raj is partitioned into India and Pakistan. After various revolts and several years of civil disobedience led by Gandhi and his Quit India Movement, Britain agrees to disband the Raj and grant independence to India.Palestine is partitioned into a Jewish State, an Arab State and a small internationally administered zone.
Comments back to top
We are currently unable to accept new comments, but any past comments are available to read below.
If you need information from us, please use our Archive enquiry service . Please note that we cannot provide valuations. You can buy a print or greeting card of most illustrated portraits. Select the portrait of interest to you, then look out for a Buy a Print button. Prices start at around £6 for unframed prints, £16 for framed prints. If you wish to license an image, select the portrait of interest to you, then look out for a Use this image button, or contact our Rights and Images service. We digitise over 8,000 portraits a year and we cannot guarantee being able to digitise images that are not already scheduled.
