Professional Photographer, Fashion Designer. Sir Cecil Beaton received recognition as a British fashion, portrait and war photographer. He was known for the photographic portraits of the Royal family, especially of Queen Elizabeth as a teenager. He photographed many debutants in a collection called "Bright Young Things." Collections of his photographs have been published in a host of 50 or more books such as "Cecil Beaton: Memories of the 40s" in 1972 and containing parts of his personal diaries, the 1979 book, "Self Portrait with Friends: The Selected Diaries of Cecil Beaton, 1926–1974." He got his first camera at age 11 and was self-taught by studying other photographers' works. He launched his career in a successful London exhibit in 1926 and followed with a solo exhibit in 1927. In the 1920s he took photographs for "Vanity Fair" and "Vogue" magazines, staying with "Vogue" for thirty years. Before the United States entered World War II, his photograph of a 3-year-old girl with a bandage wrapped around her head wound, which was received in the London's Blitz, graced the cover of "Life" magazine in 1940. His World War II photographs of the siege of Britain were published in the book "Winged Squadrons" in 1942. He served in the British Ministry of Information, covering the fighting in Africa and East Asia. Following the war, he mainly produced portraits. After photographing models in designers' pieces, he came from behind the camera to become a fashion designer, eventually, stepping into costume designing in the film industry. He received an Academy Award for his costume design for the 1958 film "Gigi " and in the 1964 film, "My Fair Lady," two Academy Awards in the categories of Best Costume Design and Best Art Direction. He had done the stage production of "My Fair Lady" earlier. In 1968 a major retrospective of his portraits was the first National Portrait Gallery exhibition that was devoted to a photographer. According to the National Portrait Gallery, he is credited with over 1,000 well-known photographs. He was knighted in 1972.
Professional Photographer, Fashion Designer. Sir Cecil Beaton received recognition as a British fashion, portrait and war photographer. He was known for the photographic portraits of the Royal family, especially of Queen Elizabeth as a teenager. He photographed many debutants in a collection called "Bright Young Things." Collections of his photographs have been published in a host of 50 or more books such as "Cecil Beaton: Memories of the 40s" in 1972 and containing parts of his personal diaries, the 1979 book, "Self Portrait with Friends: The Selected Diaries of Cecil Beaton, 1926–1974." He got his first camera at age 11 and was self-taught by studying other photographers' works. He launched his career in a successful London exhibit in 1926 and followed with a solo exhibit in 1927. In the 1920s he took photographs for "Vanity Fair" and "Vogue" magazines, staying with "Vogue" for thirty years. Before the United States entered World War II, his photograph of a 3-year-old girl with a bandage wrapped around her head wound, which was received in the London's Blitz, graced the cover of "Life" magazine in 1940. His World War II photographs of the siege of Britain were published in the book "Winged Squadrons" in 1942. He served in the British Ministry of Information, covering the fighting in Africa and East Asia. Following the war, he mainly produced portraits. After photographing models in designers' pieces, he came from behind the camera to become a fashion designer, eventually, stepping into costume designing in the film industry. He received an Academy Award for his costume design for the 1958 film "Gigi " and in the 1964 film, "My Fair Lady," two Academy Awards in the categories of Best Costume Design and Best Art Direction. He had done the stage production of "My Fair Lady" earlier. In 1968 a major retrospective of his portraits was the first National Portrait Gallery exhibition that was devoted to a photographer. According to the National Portrait Gallery, he is credited with over 1,000 well-known photographs. He was knighted in 1972.
Bio by: Linda Davis
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