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Queen Elizabeth II; Cecil Beaton and two assistants (John Drysdale; Ray Harwood)

5 of 39 portraits by Patrick Matthews

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Queen Elizabeth II; Cecil Beaton and two assistants (John Drysdale; Ray Harwood)

by Patrick Matthews
bromide print, 2 June 1953
9 1/8 in. x 8 7/8 in. (231 mm x 227 mm)
Given by Patrick Matthews, before 1996
Photographs Collection
NPG x126167

Sittersback to top

  • Cecil Beaton (1904-1980), Photographer, designer and writer. Sitter associated with 360 portraits, Artist or producer associated with 1114 portraits. Identify
  • John Drysdale (active 1950s-2016), Photographer. Sitter in 1 portrait, Artist or producer of 3 portraits. Identify
  • Queen Elizabeth II (1926-2022), Reigned 1952-2022. Sitter associated with 972 portraits. Identify
  • Ray Harwood (1926-2017), Photographer. Sitter in 1 portrait. Identify

Artistback to top

  • Patrick Matthews (1914-1996), Photographer. Artist or producer associated with 39 portraits, Sitter in 1 portrait.

Placesback to top

Linked displays and exhibitionsback to top

Subjects & Themesback to top

Events of 1953back to top

Current affairs

A combination of low pressure in the North Sea, hurricane force winds, and high tides result in the Great Flood of 1953. With no warning system many were trapped in their homes as 20-foot waves crashed on the coast; hundreds were killed at sea and on the east coast.
John Hunt's British Expedition conquers Everest. News of the achievement reached Britain on the day of Elizabeth's coronation.

Art and science

Frances Crick and James Watson discover the double helix structure of DNA. Uncovering DNA's chemical make-up revolutionised our understanding of the building blocks of life.
Ian Fleming publishes his first James Bond novel, Casino Royal.
Chad Varah founds 'The Samaritans' helpline.

International

Joseph Stalin dies four days after suffering a stroke. It has been suggested that Stalin was assassinated, as he was denied medical assistance for over a day after he was found; many suspect that he was poisoned. On his death Georgy Malenkov became leader of the Soviet Union.

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Andrew Brown

18 December 2021, 00:21

Ray Harwood went to Spring Grove Secondary School in Isleworth with my father, Jim Brown, and they were lifelong friends. When Ray left the airforce after the war (he served in Singapore) he trained as a photographer at Regent Street Poly (now the University of Westminster). As he could not afford to set himself up as a photographer (his father was a boot mender in Hounslow), he took a position as an assistant at Conde Nast, and, most notably, worked with Cecil Beaton on the 1953 Coronation photographs shown here. The V&A produced a lovely interview with Ray and John Drysdale, the other assistant, as part of their 2012 exhibition 'Queen Elizabeth II by Cecil Beaton: A Diamond Jubilee Celebration' (available on YouTube). Ray went on to work as a photographer for Vogue and then to set up his own studio in Belgravia (where my mother, Ena, worked as an assistant for a while, having previously worked for the Vogue photographer Eugene Vernier). I modeled children's fashion for Ray in the 1960s, from the age of 4, for which my parents received 4 guineas per session. Most of all, I remember Ray for his big heart, enthusiasm and generosity, and the support and friendship he provided for our family though some difficult times.

Martin Drew

27 June 2017, 17:03

Ray Harwood died on June 20 2017. He was born 05 December 1926 and after working for Conde Nast where he assisted Cecil Beaton amongst others he worked as a fashion photographer with his own studio at Bradbrook House, Studio Place, Belgravia for many years before retiring in 1990.