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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 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

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