Sir Noël Coward
(1899-1973), Actor, playwright and composerSitter associated with 117 portraits
Dramatist and actor. Born in Teddington, Coward went on to achieve great popular success as a playwright who frequently performed in his own plays. Notable works include The Vortex (1924) and Private Lives (1930). Photographer Cecil Beaton remarked that 'all sorts of men' tried to emulate Coward’s elegant style: 'sleek and satiny, clipped and well groomed, with a cigarette, a telephone, or a cocktail at hand'. His play Blithe Spirit (1941), and the film In Which We Serve (1942) contributed to the war effort. After the war he performed his own songs in cabaret in London and Las Vegas, giving him financial security.
Explore the portrait of Noël Coward by Paul Hamann (NPG 5404) from all angles
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