Zena Dare; Julie Andrews

Cecil Beaton Studio Archive © Conde Nast

by Cecil Beaton
bromide contact print, 1958
9 5/8 in. x 7 3/4 in. (245 mm x 195 mm)
Accepted in lieu of tax by H.M. Government and allocated to the Gallery, 1991
Photographs Collection
NPG x126379

Sittersback to top

Julie Elizabeth Andrews (1935-), Actress. Sitter in 7 portraits.
Zena Dare (Florence Harriette Zena Dones) (1887-1975), Actress. Sitter in 79 portraits.

Artistback to top

Cecil Beaton (1904-1980), Photographer, designer and writer. Artist associated with 1111 portraits, Sitter associated with 361 portraits.

Placesback to top

Place made and portrayed: United Kingdom: England, London (Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, London)

Subjects & Themesback to top

Events of 1958back to top

Current affairs

Britain's first motorway is built. The Preston bypass (M6) was the first road to be built to official motorway standards, although the M1 (opened in 1959) was the first road to be given official status. The road was opened by the Prime minister, Harold Macmillan, and heralded a new age of mass, high-speed motoring.

Art and science

Michael Bond publishes A Bear Called Paddington, the first Paddington Bear book. This popular character is remembered for being found at Paddington Station by the Brown family, for wearing a floppy hat, duffle coat and Wellington boots, and for his penchant for marmalade sandwiches.
The children's television programme, Blue Peter, is broadcast for the first time.

International

Following the USSR's successful launch of the Sputnik 1 satellite in 1957, America launches its own space agency, NASA. Under pressure from the Soviets' early lead, NASA began research into human spaceflight. The competition between the two superpowers to explore outer space, send humans beyond the Earth's orbit and land on the moon was known as the 'space race'.

Tell us more back to top

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Ysabel Clare

25 February 2021, 06:27

These pictures are of Zena Dare (playing Mrs Higgins) and Julie Andrews (playing Eliza Doolittle) in costumes designed by Beaton for the London production of My Fair Lady. The citation says they were taken at the Theatre Royal but not why or in what context. My mother saw the production and says Zena Dare was fabulous, she particularly remembers this hat. Here is a link to a short article about that show, commenting about it being the most expensive and longest running show of its day https://www.westendtheatre.com/26338/west-end-theatre-history/on-this-day-in-west-end-theatre-history-30-april/

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