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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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Robert Errington Lassam; Cecil Beaton, by Unknown photographer - NPG x183982

Robert Errington Lassam; Cecil Beaton

by Unknown photographer
bromide press print, circa 1979
NPG x183982

Loulou de la Falaise; Cecil Beaton, by Dominique Olida - NPG x40688

Loulou de la Falaise; Cecil Beaton

by Dominique Olida
bromide contact sheet, 07 February 1979
NPG x40688

Cecil Beaton, by Cecil Beaton - NPG x40431

Cecil Beaton

by Cecil Beaton
bromide print
NPG x40431

Cecil Beaton, by K.J. Money - NPG x40485

Cecil Beaton

by K.J. Money
bromide print
NPG x40485

Etty Beaton; Cecil Beaton, by Geoffrey Sawyer - NPG x40487

Etty Beaton; Cecil Beaton

by Geoffrey Sawyer
bromide print
NPG x40487

Cecil Beaton, by Unknown photographer - NPG x40501

Cecil Beaton

by Unknown photographer
bromide print
NPG x40501

Cecil Beaton, by Unknown photographer - NPG x40532

Cecil Beaton

by Unknown photographer
snapshot print
NPG x40532

Web image not currently available

Cecil Beaton in 'All the Vogue'

by Dorothy Wilding
half-plate glass negative, 1925
NPG x36713

Web image not currently available

Cecil Beaton in 'All the Vogue'

by Dorothy Wilding
half-plate glass negative, 1925
NPG x36716

Web image not currently available

Cecil Beaton in 'All the Vogue'

by Dorothy Wilding
half-plate glass negative, 1925
NPG x36717

Web image not currently available

Cecil Beaton in 'All the Vogue'

by Dorothy Wilding
half-plate glass negative, 1925
NPG x36719

Web image not currently available

Cecil Beaton

by Dorothy Wilding
half-plate glass negative, 1925
NPG x36721

Web image not currently available

Cecil Beaton

by Dorothy Wilding
half-plate glass negative, 1925
NPG x36722

Web image not currently available

Cecil Beaton

by Dorothy Wilding
half-plate glass negative, 1925
NPG x36723

Web image not currently available

Cecil Beaton

by Dorothy Wilding
half-plate glass negative, 1925
NPG x36725

Web image not currently available

Cecil Beaton

by Dorothy Wilding
half-plate glass negative, 1925
NPG x36726

Web image not currently available

Cecil Beaton

by Dorothy Wilding
half-plate glass negative, 1925
NPG x36727

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