Sir Cecil Beaton, The First Celebrity Photographer.

Working on film costumes,probably for My Fair Lady

Born Hampstead in London 1904 to a timber merchant, had a priviledged upbringing, and it was actually his nanny that introduced him to photography by letting him use her Kodak 3A.

Kodak 3A - renouned for its ease of use and as a good camera for novices.

He was educated at public school where he was bullied. He showed a lot of artistic abilities at school and was an exceptional singer. He practiced his photograpy by taking portraits of his family and he used to send them into society magazines. He would also send letters of recommendation under nom-de-plumes to try to get his work published.

He then studied history and Architecture at Cambridge but left before graduating in 1925.

His first published work was in Vogue in 1924, a picture of the famous shakespearian actor George Rylands dressed as the Duchess of Malfi.

Beaton's picture of George Ryland as the Duchess of Malfi

His proffessional photography career began in the studio of former Cambridge colleague, Paul Tanqueray, until he was given a full time job at Vogue in 1927

He became cheif British Vogue photographer in 1931, and developed a proffessional relationship with both Goerge Hoyningen-Huene, and Horst Bohrman who were cheif photographers with French Vogue and American Vogue respectively. The exchange of ideas between the three photographers is what created the sophisticated high art look that Vogue magazine became famous for during the 1930's and 40's

Lillian Gish 1929

Picaso 1931

Dali 1936

Marlene Detricht 1935

During the second world war he worked for the Ministry of Information, documenting life in war torn Britain and the War effort.

This picture of bombing victim Eileen Dunne taken in 1940 was published in the american press and had big impact on American public Opinion at the time.

After the war he went back to work taking portraits and Fashion for Vogue and other magazines.

Yule Brynner 1946

Elizabeth Taylor 1953

Marilyn Monroe 1956

Mick Jagger 1968

He also did fashion features as well all through his career.

Beaton was also the favourite photographer of the royal family for many years,

The Queen and Prince Andrew (1960)

his other area of expertise was in film and theatre design. He designed for may famous stage shows of the era, especially period musicals, before moving into film work winning Oscars for his work on Gigi (1961) and My Fair Lady(1964)

Beaton went on working in film theatre and photography until he suffered an major stroke in 1974, which left him paralysed down his right hand side. he tried to keep on working by teaching himself to use his left hand, but it frustrated him

He died in Broad oak in Wiltshire 1980.

Cecil Beaton 1904-1980