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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, 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

Steven Runciman, by Cecil Beaton - NPG x14195

Steven Runciman

by Cecil Beaton
bromide print on white card mount, mid 1920s
NPG x14195

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 Cecil Beaton - NPG x40413

Cecil Beaton

by Cecil Beaton
bromide print, 1925
NPG x40413

Baba Beaton as Ophelia, by Cecil Beaton - NPG x68853

Baba Beaton as Ophelia

by Cecil Beaton
vintage bromide print, 1925
NPG x68853

Sir Osbert Sitwell, by Cecil Beaton - NPG x40367

Sir Osbert Sitwell

by Cecil Beaton
vintage bromide print, 1926
NPG x40367

Edith Sitwell, by Cecil Beaton - NPG x40360

Edith Sitwell

by Cecil Beaton
vintage bromide print, December 1926
NPG x40360

Lady Ottoline Morrell, by Cecil Beaton - NPG Ax142924

Lady Ottoline Morrell

by Cecil Beaton
postcard reproduction, 1927
NPG Ax142924

Lady Ottoline Morrell, by Cecil Beaton - NPG Ax142925

Lady Ottoline Morrell

by Cecil Beaton
postcard reproduction, 1927
NPG Ax142925

Lady Ottoline Morrell, by Cecil Beaton - NPG Ax142926

Lady Ottoline Morrell

by Cecil Beaton
postcard reproduction, 1927
NPG Ax142926

Lady Ottoline Morrell, by Cecil Beaton - NPG Ax142927

Lady Ottoline Morrell

by Cecil Beaton
postcard reproduction, 1927
NPG Ax142927

Vittoria Colonna, Duchess of Sermoneta, by Cecil Beaton - NPG x135887

Vittoria Colonna, Duchess of Sermoneta

by Cecil Beaton
bromide postcard print on album page, late 1920s
NPG x135887

Maria Ruspoli, Duchess de Gramont; Vittoria Colonna, Duchess of Sermoneta, by Cecil Beaton - NPG x135889

Maria Ruspoli, Duchess de Gramont; Vittoria Colonna, Duchess of Sermoneta

by Cecil Beaton
bromide postcard print on album page, late 1920s
NPG x135889

Vittoria Colonna, Duchess of Sermoneta; Michael Sevier, by Cecil Beaton - NPG x135891

Vittoria Colonna, Duchess of Sermoneta; Michael Sevier

by Cecil Beaton
bromide postcard print on album page, late 1920s
NPG x135891

Vittoria Colonna, Duchess of Sermoneta with three others, by Cecil Beaton - NPG x135892

Vittoria Colonna, Duchess of Sermoneta with three others

by Cecil Beaton
bromide postcard print on album page, late 1920s
NPG x135892

Etty Beaton, by Cecil Beaton - NPG x135896

Etty Beaton

by Cecil Beaton
bromide postcard print on album page, late 1920s
NPG x135896

Etty Beaton with two others, by Cecil Beaton - NPG x135893

Etty Beaton with two others

by Cecil Beaton
bromide postcard print on album page, late 1920s
NPG x135893

Etty Beaton; Jane Pamela (née Clarke), Lady Stewart-Clark, by Cecil Beaton - NPG x135894

Etty Beaton; Jane Pamela (née Clarke), Lady Stewart-Clark

by Cecil Beaton
bromide postcard print on album page, late 1920s
NPG x135894

Etty Beaton, by Cecil Beaton - NPG x135895

Etty Beaton

by Cecil Beaton
bromide postcard print on album page, late 1920s
NPG x135895

Two unknown women, by Cecil Beaton - NPG x135890

Two unknown women

by Cecil Beaton
bromide postcard print on album page, late 1920s
NPG x135890

Unknown woman, by Cecil Beaton - NPG x135888

Unknown woman

by Cecil Beaton
bromide postcard print on album page, late 1920s
NPG x135888

Edith Sitwell, by Cecil Beaton - NPG x40362

Edith Sitwell

by Cecil Beaton
bromide print, 1927
NPG x40362

Baba Beaton, by Cecil Beaton - NPG x40013

Baba Beaton

by Cecil Beaton
vintage bromide print, May 1927
NPG x40013

Lady Ottoline Morrell, by Cecil Beaton - NPG x14149

Lady Ottoline Morrell

by Cecil Beaton
bromide print on white card mount, 1927
NPG x14149

Margot Asquith, by Cecil Beaton - NPG x14176

Margot Asquith

by Cecil Beaton
bromide print on white card mount, 1927
NPG x14176

Siegfried Sassoon, by Cecil Beaton - NPG x14199

Siegfried Sassoon

by Cecil Beaton
bromide print on white card mount, late 1920s
NPG x14199

Rex Whistler, by Cecil Beaton - NPG x40400

Rex Whistler

by Cecil Beaton
vintage bromide print, 1927
NPG x40400

Edith Sitwell, by Cecil Beaton - NPG x40361

Edith Sitwell

by Cecil Beaton
bromide print on white card mount, 1927
NPG x40361

Comtesse Phyllis de Janzé (née Boyd), by Cecil Beaton - NPG x40243

Comtesse Phyllis de Janzé (née Boyd)

by Cecil Beaton
vintage bromide print, late 1920s
NPG x40243

Margot Asquith, by Cecil Beaton - NPG x40317

Margot Asquith

by Cecil Beaton
bromide print, 1927
NPG x40317

Margot Asquith, by Cecil Beaton - NPG x40318

Margot Asquith

by Cecil Beaton
bromide print, 1927
NPG x40318

Lady Ottoline Morrell, by Cecil Beaton - NPG x40291

Lady Ottoline Morrell

by Cecil Beaton
bromide print, 1927
NPG x40291

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

Cecil Beaton and his friends

by Cecil Beaton
bromide print, October 1927
NPG x40409

Maud Alice (née Burke), Lady Cunard, by Cecil Beaton - NPG x40076

Maud Alice (née Burke), Lady Cunard

by Cecil Beaton
vintage bromide print, 1927-1929
NPG x40076

Freda Dudley Ward (Marquise de Casa Maury), by Cecil Beaton - NPG x40083

Freda Dudley Ward (Marquise de Casa Maury)

by Cecil Beaton
bromide print, late 1920s
NPG x40083

Hon. David Herbert, by Cecil Beaton - NPG x40189

Hon. David Herbert

by Cecil Beaton
vintage bromide print, late 1920s
NPG x40189

Cecil Beaton, by Cecil Beaton - NPG x40430

Cecil Beaton

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

Lady Ottoline Morrell, by Cecil Beaton - NPG x40289

Lady Ottoline Morrell

by Cecil Beaton
bromide print, 1927
NPG x40289

Lady Ottoline Morrell, by Cecil Beaton - NPG x40290

Lady Ottoline Morrell

by Cecil Beaton
bromide print, 1927
NPG x40290

Lady Ottoline Morrell, by Cecil Beaton - NPG x40287

Lady Ottoline Morrell

by Cecil Beaton
bromide print, 1927
NPG x40287

Lady Ottoline Morrell, by Cecil Beaton - NPG x40288

Lady Ottoline Morrell

by Cecil Beaton
bromide print, 1927
NPG x40288

Sheila Chisholm, by Cecil Beaton - NPG x40260

Sheila Chisholm

by Cecil Beaton
bromide print, 1927
NPG x40260

Siegfried Sassoon, by Cecil Beaton - NPG x40357

Siegfried Sassoon

by Cecil Beaton
bromide print, late 1920s
NPG x40357

Stephen Tennant as Prince Charming, by Cecil Beaton - NPG x40379

Stephen Tennant as Prince Charming

by Cecil Beaton
bromide print, 1927
NPG x40379

Lady Ottoline Morrell, by Cecil Beaton - NPG x142924

Lady Ottoline Morrell

by Cecil Beaton
cream-toned bromide print, 1927
NPG x142924

Lady Ottoline Morrell, by Cecil Beaton - NPG x142925

Lady Ottoline Morrell

by Cecil Beaton
cream-toned bromide print, 1927
NPG x142925

Lady Ottoline Morrell, by Cecil Beaton - NPG x144199

Lady Ottoline Morrell

by Cecil Beaton
cream-toned bromide print, 1927
NPG x144199

Lady Ottoline Morrell, by Cecil Beaton - NPG x144200

Lady Ottoline Morrell

by Cecil Beaton
cream-toned bromide print, 1927
NPG x144200

Lady Ottoline Morrell, by Cecil Beaton - NPG x144201

Lady Ottoline Morrell

by Cecil Beaton
cream-toned bromide print, 1927
NPG x144201

Lady Ottoline Morrell, by Cecil Beaton - NPG x144202

Lady Ottoline Morrell

by Cecil Beaton
cream-toned bromide print, 1927
NPG x144202

Lady Ottoline Morrell, by Cecil Beaton - NPG x144203

Lady Ottoline Morrell

by Cecil Beaton
cream-toned bromide print, 1927
NPG x144203

Lady Ottoline Morrell, by Cecil Beaton - NPG x144204

Lady Ottoline Morrell

by Cecil Beaton
cream-toned bromide print, 1927
NPG x144204

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