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Cecil Beaton

(1904-1980), Photographer, designer and writer

Sitter associated with 360 portraits
Artist associated with 1114 portraits
Cecil Beaton was one of the leading British photographers of the twentieth century. Beaton's early studio portraits of debutantes and celebrities often involved elaborate theatrical backdrops, and helped define the image of the 'Bright young thing'. Beaton was also an acclaimed designer for film and the stage, including My Fair Lady (1956), the musical based on George Bernard Shaw's play Pygmalion. He won three Oscars for costume and art direction for the film version of My Fair Lady (1965) and for Gigi (1958). A major retrospective of Beaton's portraits in 1968 was the first exhibition the National Portrait Gallery had devoted to a photographer.

More on Beaton: Cecil Beaton's Bright Young Things

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Cecil Beaton, by Cecil Beaton - NPG P219

Cecil Beaton

by Cecil Beaton
bromide print, 1927
NPG P219

Cecil Beaton, by Anthony Wysard - NPG 6438

Cecil Beaton

by Anthony Wysard
pencil, ink and wash on board, 1930
NPG 6438

Cecil Beaton, by Pavel Tchelitchew - NPG 5306

Cecil Beaton

by Pavel Tchelitchew
gouache, 1934
NPG 5306

Cecil Beaton, by Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent - NPG 6137

Cecil Beaton

by Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent
pencil, chalk and wash, 1943
NPG 6137

Cecil Beaton, by Angus McBean - NPG P1294

Cecil Beaton

by Angus McBean
vintage bromide print, 1949
NPG P1294

Cecil Beaton, by Lewis Morley - NPG P512(2)

Cecil Beaton

by Lewis Morley
bromide print, 1960
NPG P512(2)

Cecil Beaton, by Arnold Newman - NPG P150(5)

Cecil Beaton

by Arnold Newman
bromide print, 1978
NPG P150(5)

Cecil Beaton, by Unknown photographer - NPG x40653

Cecil Beaton

by Unknown photographer
bromide postcard print, 1906
NPG x40653

Cecil Beaton, by Unknown photographer - NPG x40410

Cecil Beaton

by Unknown photographer
bromide print, 1910s
NPG x40410

Cecil Beaton, by Grigg - NPG x30310

Cecil Beaton

by Grigg
bromide print on tissue and card mount, circa 1920
NPG x30310

Cecil Beaton, by Hay Wrightson - NPG x30313

Cecil Beaton

by Hay Wrightson
sepia-toned bromide print on card and tissue mount, 1920s
NPG x30313

Cecil Beaton, by Lafayette - NPG x30312

Cecil Beaton

by Lafayette
bromide print on cream-toned paper, 1920s
NPG x30312

Cecil Beaton, by Peter North - NPG x30322

Cecil Beaton

by Peter North
cream-toned bromide print on page mount, 1920s
NPG x30322

Cecil Beaton, by Peter North - NPG x30323

Cecil Beaton

by Peter North
cream-toned bromide print on page mount, 1920s
NPG x30323

Cecil Beaton, by Peter North - NPG x30324

Cecil Beaton

by Peter North
cream-toned bromide print on page mount, 1920s
NPG x30324

Cecil Beaton, by Peter North - NPG x30325

Cecil Beaton

by Peter North
cream-toned bromide print on page mount, 1920s
NPG x30325

Cecil Beaton, by Peter North - NPG x30326

Cecil Beaton

by Peter North
cream-toned bromide print on page mount, 1920s
NPG x30326

Cecil Beaton, by Peter North - NPG x30327

Cecil Beaton

by Peter North
cream-toned bromide print on page mount, 1920s
NPG x30327

Cecil Beaton, by Peter North - NPG x30328

Cecil Beaton

by Peter North
cream-toned bromide print on page mount, 1920s
NPG x30328

Cecil Beaton, by Peter North - NPG x30329

Cecil Beaton

by Peter North
cream-toned bromide print on page mount, 1920s
NPG x30329

Cecil Beaton, by Peter North - NPG x30330

Cecil Beaton

by Peter North
cream-toned bromide print on page mount, 1920s
NPG x30330

Cecil Beaton, by Cecil Beaton - NPG x40412

Cecil Beaton

by Cecil Beaton
bromide print mounted on cream and black card, early 1920s
NPG x40412

Cecil Beaton, by Cecil Beaton - NPG x126367

Cecil Beaton

by Cecil Beaton
bromide print on card mount, 1920s
NPG x126367

Cecil Beaton, probably by Cecil Beaton - NPG x40668

Cecil Beaton

probably by Cecil Beaton
sepia-toned bromide print, 1922
NPG x40668

Cecil Beaton, probably by Cecil Beaton - NPG x40669

Cecil Beaton

probably by Cecil Beaton
sepia-toned bromide print, 1922
NPG x40669

Cecil Beaton, probably by Cecil Beaton - NPG x40670

Cecil Beaton

probably by Cecil Beaton
sepia-toned bromide print, 1922
NPG x40670

Cecil Beaton, probably by Cecil Beaton - NPG x40671

Cecil Beaton

probably by Cecil Beaton
sepia-toned bromide print, 1922
NPG x40671

Cecil Beaton, by Cecil Beaton - NPG x40411

Cecil Beaton

by Cecil Beaton
bromide print, 1922
NPG x40411

Cecil Beaton, by Cecil Beaton - NPG x30309

Cecil Beaton

by Cecil Beaton
vintage bromide print on three tinted card mounts, circa 1924
NPG x30309

Cecil Beaton, by Marian Lewis - NPG x30311

Cecil Beaton

by Marian Lewis
matte bromide print on tissue and card mount, circa 1924
NPG x30311

Cecil Beaton, by Bassano Ltd - NPG x127868

Cecil Beaton

by Bassano Ltd
whole-plate glass negative, 16 January 1925
NPG x127868

Cecil Beaton, by Bassano Ltd - NPG x127869

Cecil Beaton

by Bassano Ltd
whole-plate glass negative, 16 January 1925
NPG x127869

Cecil Beaton, by Bassano Ltd - NPG x127870

Cecil Beaton

by Bassano Ltd
whole-plate glass negative, 16 January 1925
NPG x127870

Cecil Beaton in 'All the Vogue', by Dorothy Wilding - NPG x36720

Cecil Beaton in 'All the Vogue'

by Dorothy Wilding
half-plate glass negative, 1925
NPG x36720

Cecil Beaton in 'All the Vogue', by Dorothy Wilding - NPG x36714

Cecil Beaton in 'All the Vogue'

by Dorothy Wilding
half-plate glass negative, 1925
NPG x36714

Cecil Beaton in 'All the Vogue', by Dorothy Wilding - NPG x36715

Cecil Beaton in 'All the Vogue'

by Dorothy Wilding
half-plate glass negative, 1925
NPG x36715

Cecil Beaton in 'All the Vogue', by Dorothy Wilding - NPG x36718

Cecil Beaton in 'All the Vogue'

by Dorothy Wilding
half-plate glass negative, 1925
NPG x36718

Cecil Beaton, by Dorothy Wilding - NPG x36724

Cecil Beaton

by Dorothy Wilding
half-plate glass negative, 1925
NPG x36724

Cecil Beaton, by Cecil Beaton - NPG x40413

Cecil Beaton

by Cecil Beaton
bromide print, 1925
NPG x40413

Cecil Beaton; Stephen Tennant, by Maurice Beck and Helen Macgregor - NPG x40415

Cecil Beaton; Stephen Tennant

by Maurice Beck and Helen Macgregor
cream-toned vintage bromide print, 1927
NPG x40415

Cecil Beaton and his friends, by Cecil Beaton - NPG x40409

Cecil Beaton and his friends

by Cecil Beaton
bromide print, October 1927
NPG x40409

Cecil Beaton, by Cecil Beaton - NPG x40430

Cecil Beaton

by Cecil Beaton
velox snapshot print, late 1920s
NPG x40430

Cecil Beaton, by Curtis Moffat, and  Olivia Wyndham - NPG x20034

Cecil Beaton

by Curtis Moffat, and Olivia Wyndham
bromide print, circa 1928
NPG x20034

Cecil Beaton, by Lafayette - NPG x49751

Cecil Beaton

by Lafayette
whole-plate film negative, 14 June 1928
NPG x49751

Cecil Beaton, by Lafayette - NPG x49754

Cecil Beaton

by Lafayette
whole-plate film negative, 14 June 1928
NPG x49754

Cecil Beaton, by Lafayette - NPG x49755

Cecil Beaton

by Lafayette
whole-plate film negative, 14 June 1928
NPG x49755

Cecil Beaton, by Curtis Moffat - NPG x40414

Cecil Beaton

by Curtis Moffat
bromide print, circa 1928
NPG x40414

Cecil Beaton, by Curtis Moffat, and  Olivia Wyndham - NPG x30316

Cecil Beaton

by Curtis Moffat, and Olivia Wyndham
bromide print on card mount with green tint, circa 1928
NPG x30316

Cecil Beaton, by Curtis Moffat, and  Olivia Wyndham - NPG x30315

Cecil Beaton

by Curtis Moffat, and Olivia Wyndham
bromide print on grey mount with red tint, circa 1928
NPG x30315

Cecil Beaton; Paula Gellibrand, Marquise de Casa Maury, by Cecil Beaton - NPG x193435

Cecil Beaton; Paula Gellibrand, Marquise de Casa Maury

by Cecil Beaton
halftone reproduction tear sheet, published 20 February 1929
NPG x193435

Cecil Beaton, by Cecil Beaton - NPG x24831

Cecil Beaton

by Cecil Beaton
bromide print, 1930s
NPG x24831

Cecil Beaton, by Cecil Beaton - NPG x40429

Cecil Beaton

by Cecil Beaton
vintage print, 1930s
NPG x40429

Cecil Beaton, by Cecil Beaton - NPG x134481

Cecil Beaton

by Cecil Beaton
bromide print, 1930s
NPG x134481

Cecil Beaton, by Bert Longworth - NPG x40537

Cecil Beaton

by Bert Longworth
vintage contact print from 10 x 8 inch negative, 1930s
NPG x40537

Cecil Beaton, by George Hurrell - NPG x40423

Cecil Beaton

by George Hurrell
bromide print, 1930s
NPG x40423

Cecil Beaton, by Cecil Beaton - NPG x40432

Cecil Beaton

by Cecil Beaton
bromide fibre print, 1930s
NPG x40432

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