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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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Lady Ottoline Morrell, by Cecil Beaton - NPG x144205

Lady Ottoline Morrell

by Cecil Beaton
cream-toned bromide print, 1927
NPG x144205

Lillie Langtry, by Cecil Beaton - NPG x40247

Lillie Langtry

by Cecil Beaton
bromide print, 1928
NPG x40247

Tallulah Bankhead as Sarah Bernhardt, by Cecil Beaton - NPG x193434

Tallulah Bankhead as Sarah Bernhardt

by Cecil Beaton
halftone reproduction tear sheet, published 17 October 1928
NPG x193434

Lee Miller; Marion Morehouse Cummings, by Cecil Beaton - NPG x40262

Lee Miller; Marion Morehouse Cummings

by Cecil Beaton
bromide print, circa 1928
NPG x40262

Lillie Langtry, by Cecil Beaton - NPG x14126

Lillie Langtry

by Cecil Beaton
bromide print on white card mount, 1928
NPG x14126

Paula Gellibrand, Marquise de Casa Maury, by Cecil Beaton - NPG x40045

Paula Gellibrand, Marquise de Casa Maury

by Cecil Beaton
vintage bromide print, 1928
NPG x40045

Paula Gellibrand, Marquise de Casa Maury, by Cecil Beaton - NPG x40043

Paula Gellibrand, Marquise de Casa Maury

by Cecil Beaton
vintage bromide print, 1928
NPG x40043

Paula Gellibrand, Marquise de Casa Maury, by Cecil Beaton - NPG x40042

Paula Gellibrand, Marquise de Casa Maury

by Cecil Beaton
vintage bromide print, 1928
NPG x40042

Paula Gellibrand, Marquise de Casa Maury, by Cecil Beaton - NPG x40041

Paula Gellibrand, Marquise de Casa Maury

by Cecil Beaton
vintage bromide print, 1928
NPG x40041

Paula Gellibrand, Marquise de Casa Maury, by Cecil Beaton - NPG x40689

Paula Gellibrand, Marquise de Casa Maury

by Cecil Beaton
bromide postcard print on album page, 1928
NPG x40689

Paula Gellibrand, Marquise de Casa Maury, by Cecil Beaton - NPG x40690

Paula Gellibrand, Marquise de Casa Maury

by Cecil Beaton
bromide postcard print on album page, 1928
NPG x40690

Paula Gellibrand, Marquise de Casa Maury, by Cecil Beaton - NPG x40691

Paula Gellibrand, Marquise de Casa Maury

by Cecil Beaton
bromide postcard print on album page, 1928
NPG x40691

Paula Gellibrand, Marquise de Casa Maury, by Cecil Beaton - NPG x40692

Paula Gellibrand, Marquise de Casa Maury

by Cecil Beaton
bromide postcard print on album page, 1928
NPG x40692

Paula Gellibrand, Marquise de Casa Maury, by Cecil Beaton - NPG x40693

Paula Gellibrand, Marquise de Casa Maury

by Cecil Beaton
bromide postcard print on album page, 1928
NPG x40693

Paula Gellibrand, Marquise de Casa Maury, by Cecil Beaton - NPG x40694

Paula Gellibrand, Marquise de Casa Maury

by Cecil Beaton
bromide postcard print on album page, 1928
NPG x40694

Paula Gellibrand, Marquise de Casa Maury, by Cecil Beaton - NPG x40695

Paula Gellibrand, Marquise de Casa Maury

by Cecil Beaton
bromide postcard print on album page, 1928
NPG x40695

Paula Gellibrand, Marquise de Casa Maury, by Cecil Beaton - NPG x40696

Paula Gellibrand, Marquise de Casa Maury

by Cecil Beaton
bromide postcard print on album page, 1928
NPG x40696

Tilly Losch, by Cecil Beaton - NPG x137495

Tilly Losch

by Cecil Beaton
halftone reproduction tear sheet, published 9 October 1929
NPG x137495

Charles James, by Cecil Beaton - NPG x194109

Charles James

by Cecil Beaton
vintage print, circa 1929
NPG x194109

Marie Laurencin, by Cecil Beaton - NPG x197408

Marie Laurencin

by Cecil Beaton
halftone reproduction tear sheet, published August 1929
NPG x197408

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

Lillian Gish, by Cecil Beaton - NPG x40158

Lillian Gish

by Cecil Beaton
bromide print, 1929
NPG x40158

Nancy Cunard, by Cecil Beaton - NPG x40079

Nancy Cunard

by Cecil Beaton
vintage bromide print, 1929
On display in Room 25 on Floor 2 at the National Portrait Gallery
NPG x40079

Nancy Cunard, by Cecil Beaton - NPG x40077

Nancy Cunard

by Cecil Beaton
vintage bromide print, 1929
NPG x40077

Nancy Cunard, by Cecil Beaton - NPG x40078

Nancy Cunard

by Cecil Beaton
vintage bromide print, 1929
NPG x40078

Tilly Losch, by Cecil Beaton - NPG x40257

Tilly Losch

by Cecil Beaton
bromide print, circa 1929
NPG x40257

Cecil Beaton, by Cecil Beaton - NPG x24831

Cecil Beaton

by Cecil Beaton
bromide print, 1930s
NPG x24831

W.H. Auden, by Cecil Beaton - NPG x40005

W.H. Auden

by Cecil Beaton
bromide print, 1930
NPG x40005

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

Baroness Catherine d'Erlanger, by Cecil Beaton - NPG Ax135994

Baroness Catherine d'Erlanger

by Cecil Beaton
halftone reproduction tear sheet, published 29 October 1930
NPG Ax135994

Clive Brook, by Cecil Beaton - NPG x14037

Clive Brook

by Cecil Beaton
cream-toned bromide print on white card mount, 1930
NPG x14037

Maxine Elliott (Jessie Dermott), by Cecil Beaton - NPG x14067

Maxine Elliott (Jessie Dermott)

by Cecil Beaton
bromide print on white card mount, 1930s
NPG x14067

Gertrude Lawrence, by Cecil Beaton - NPG x14127

Gertrude Lawrence

by Cecil Beaton
bromide print on white card mount, 1930
NPG x14127

Edwina Cynthia Annette (née Ashley), Countess Mountbatten of Burma, by Cecil Beaton - NPG x14152

Edwina Cynthia Annette (née Ashley), Countess Mountbatten of Burma

by Cecil Beaton
bromide print on white card mount, 1930s
NPG x14152

Lady Diana Cooper (Diana (née Manners), Viscountess Norwich), by Cecil Beaton - NPG x14164

Lady Diana Cooper (Diana (née Manners), Viscountess Norwich)

by Cecil Beaton
bromide print on white card mount, 1930
NPG x14164

Anna Neagle, by Cecil Beaton - NPG x14154

Anna Neagle

by Cecil Beaton
bromide print on white card mount, 1930s
NPG x14154

Edith Sitwell, by Cecil Beaton - NPG x40363

Edith Sitwell

by Cecil Beaton
bromide print on white card mount, 1930
NPG x40363

Edith Sitwell, by Cecil Beaton - NPG x40364

Edith Sitwell

by Cecil Beaton
bromide print on white card mount, 1930
NPG x40364

Cecil Beaton, by Cecil Beaton - NPG x40432

Cecil Beaton

by Cecil Beaton
bromide fibre print, 1930s
NPG x40432

Lord David Cecil, by Cecil Beaton - NPG x40047

Lord David Cecil

by Cecil Beaton
bromide print, 1930
NPG x40047

Jean Cocteau, by Cecil Beaton - NPG x40060

Jean Cocteau

by Cecil Beaton
bromide print, 1930s
NPG x40060

Daisy Fellowes, by Cecil Beaton - NPG x40092

Daisy Fellowes

by Cecil Beaton
bromide print, 1930s
NPG x40092

Daisy Fellowes, by Cecil Beaton - NPG x40091

Daisy Fellowes

by Cecil Beaton
bromide print, 1930s
NPG x40091

Gertrude Lawrence, by Cecil Beaton - NPG x40250

Gertrude Lawrence

by Cecil Beaton
bromide print, 1930
NPG x40250

Gertrude Lawrence, by Cecil Beaton - NPG x40249

Gertrude Lawrence

by Cecil Beaton
bromide print, 1930
NPG x40249

Gertrude Lawrence, by Cecil Beaton - NPG x40248

Gertrude Lawrence

by Cecil Beaton
bromide print, 1930
NPG x40248

Elsie de Wolfe, Lady Mendl, by Cecil Beaton - NPG x40259

Elsie de Wolfe, Lady Mendl

by Cecil Beaton
bromide print, 1930s
NPG x40259

Sir (Sacheverell) Reresby Sitwell, 7th Bt, by Cecil Beaton - NPG x40368

Sir (Sacheverell) Reresby Sitwell, 7th Bt

by Cecil Beaton
vintage bromide print, early 1930s
NPG x40368

Pavel Tchelitchew, by Cecil Beaton - NPG x40378

Pavel Tchelitchew

by Cecil Beaton
bromide print, 1930s
NPG x40378

Evelyn Waugh, by Cecil Beaton - NPG x40397

Evelyn Waugh

by Cecil Beaton
bromide print, 1930s
NPG x40397

Frank Owen Dobson, by Cecil Beaton - NPG x40982

Frank Owen Dobson

by Cecil Beaton
bromide postcard print on album page, 1930
NPG x40982

Frank Owen Dobson, by Cecil Beaton - NPG x40983

Frank Owen Dobson

by Cecil Beaton
bromide postcard print on album page, 1930
NPG x40983

Cecil Beaton, by Cecil Beaton - NPG x40436

Cecil Beaton

by Cecil Beaton
bromide snapshot print, 1930s
NPG x40436

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