Cecil Beaton

Cecil Beaton – Beaton learnt photography from his nanny

Cecil Beaton was born in London on 14 January 1904. The son of a wealthy wood merchant, he initially started a business apprenticeship at the behest of his father but broke this off early on to follow an artistic career. His musical talent was recognised early on during his time at St. Cyprian’s School in Eastbourne, where he excelled particularly in singing. Cecil Beaton discovered photography through his nanny who owned a Kodak 3A, a camera which was considered the ideal beginner’s model. Beaton’s young photographic career was initially a family matter: The nanny taught him the basics of photography and his mother and sister had to sit as models. When Beaton was satisfied with his attempts, he submitted the pictures to magazines and wrote benevolent recommendation letters for himself under a pseudonym. Following his father’s wishes, although against his true interests, Beaton began studies at Cambridge, but chose to miss lectures, founding a theatre group instead and designing elaborate costumes for their performances. 

Contracts from Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar and the Royal Family

Cecil Beaton also devoted himself to photography with fervour as a student, and thanks to contacts he made at university, managed to get a relatively blurry snapshot of the actor Dadie Rylands costumed as the ‘Duchess of Malfi’ published in Vogue magazine. The rather lower quality of this early work did not affect his later reputation as a photographer, nor the fact that he left university in 1925 without a degree. Beaton worked for a short time in his parent’s business but was increasingly bothered that he only had time for his beloved photography at the weekends and therefore decided to become an independent photographer. The aristocratic Osbert Sitwell took on the patronage for Beaton’s first exhibition in London’s Cooling Gallery, attracting some attention. Assuming that the ‘land of opportunity’ would offer him better career opportunities, Beaton finally went to New York where he gradually established a brilliant reputation. His pictures for Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar also brought him such great fame in his homeland that he served as court photographer for the royal family from 1937. 

Following the war, Beaton celebrated success as a stage designer

During the Second World War, Cecil Beaton worked as photographer for the British Ministry for Information in Africa and the Far East. After the war, he turned increasingly to other disciplines, designed many celebrated stage sets for musicals and Hollywood films, illustrated books, and compiled diaries in which he made such sharp-tongued remarks about famous personalities from his circle that the texts were sanitized for publication. Cecil Beaton received prizes and awards for his art including the Tony Award for ‘Best Costume Design’ several times, and also the famous and coveted Oscar three times for his costume and set designs; in 1972 he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II. 

Cecil Beaton died on 18 January 1980 in Broad Chalke, England.