Identity area
Reference code
Beaton/A/A2/14a/76
Unique identifier
Title
Date(s)
- 17 Apr. 1950 (Creation)
Level of description
Item
Extent and medium
3 p. paper
Context area
Name of creator
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.
Repository
Archival history
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
Content and structure area
Scope and content
Misses Garbo and wishes she was in England with him. Complains that the sunny spring weather turned cold, he was crippled by lumbago for three days, and had problems with his ear. Complains that his secretary, Maud Nelson, is suffering from asthma and has written him an embarrassing letter. Announces that a Mr Myers and his partner Aldrich (Gertrude Lawrence's husband) want to produce his Gainsborough play. Writes that he is enjoying work on his 'chore' for the theatre and spending weekends writing his book, Photobiography. Mentions that he enjoyed his nephew's four night visit to London, where he had come to fence for Eton. Critiques Ivor Novello's musical comedy. Tells Garbo to ask Crocker when she will become an American citizen. Begs her to extricate herself from her present situation rather than go abroad again with the same chaperone. Wishes she would visit him instead. Asks if she is pleased to be back in the alley.