Item 109 - Carbon copy ALS to Greta Garbo from Brighton

Identity area

Reference code

Beaton/A/A2/14a/109

Unique identifier

GB 275 Beaton/A/A2/14a/109

Title

Carbon copy ALS to Greta Garbo from Brighton

Date(s)

  • 22 July 1951 (Circa. Letter dated '22nd'. Date deduced from content.) (Creation)

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Item

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2 p. paper

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Name of creator

(1904-1980)

Biographical history

Photographer, artist, writer, and designer of scenery and costumes. Educated at Harrow and St John's College, Cambridge, 1922-5. Made his name as a photographer through portraits of the Sitwells. Employed by Vogue in London and New York. Published 'The Book of Beauty' (1930). Photographed the Duke of Windsor's wedding, 1937. War photographer, 1939-45. Designed 'Lady Windermere's Fan', 1945. Designed costumes for 'An Ideal Husband' and 'Anna Karenina', 1948. Worked on 'The School for Scandal', 1949, 'Quadrille' for Noel Coward, 1952, 'Turandot', 1961, and 'La Traviata', 1966. Designed costumes for 'My Fair Lady', 1956, and for the film version in Hollywood, 1963. His play 'The Gainsborough Girls', 1951 and 1959, was unsuccessful. Published 'The Glass of Fashion' (1954), and six volumes of diaries. Exhibited photographs at the National Portrait Gallery, 1968. Knighted 1972.

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Scope and content

Expresses his disappointment about his Gainsborough play's bad reception. Mentions that Constance Collier and Katherine Hepburn were enthusiastic about it. Writes that he is 'sad at the idea of having to go on being a photographer'. Hopes that Garbo had good weather in Bermuda.

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