From the 1950s his set designs for theatre and films, such as My Fair Lady (1956), defined the glamorous look of the era. His first solo exhibition in London in 1927 established him as one of the leading fashion photographers and portraitists of his generation.īeaton became sought-after on both sides of the Atlantic, photographing famous faces from Hollywood, the theatre world and society.

His career took off in the mid 1920s, when he began to contribute photographs and illustrations to Vogue magazine. As a teenager he spent many hours attempting to recreate the look of glamorous society portraits using his sisters, Nancy and Baba, as models. E.1557-2007, © Victoria and Albert Museum, London/Estate of Curtis MoffaĬecil Beaton began to pursue photography at a very early age. A premier portrait photographerĬecil Beaton by Curtis Moffat, Gelatin silver print, about 1930. Photographs, diaries, personal letters and press cuttings combine to tell the fascinating story of a magnificent collaboration between crown and camera. In 1987 she, in turn, bequeathed the archive to the V&A. His detailed diary accounts reveal the complexities of each sitting, from the intense planning and excitement beforehand to the pressures of achieving the perfect shot.īeaton bequeathed his archive of royal portraits to his devoted secretary Eileen Hose.

The most memorable of Beaton's images combine the splendour of historic royal portrait painting with an intimacy that only photography and film can convey. Over the next three decades he would be invited to photograph the Queen on many significant occasions, including her Coronation Day in 1953. Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II was still a young princess when she first sat for Beaton in 1942. The photographs of the British royal family by Sir Cecil Beaton (1904-1980) were central to shaping the monarchy's public image in the mid-20th century. Cecil Beaton: about the Exhibition 8 February - 22 April 2012

Cecil beaton queen elizabeth ii