Beaton, Cecil (1904-1980)

Dates

• Existence: 1904-1980

Biography

Sir Cecil Beaton was born in London in 1904. Beaton attended Harrow preparatory school and St. John's College, although he never graduated from the latter. He signed a contract with Condé Nast to supply Vogue with fashion photographs in 1930. He photographed royalty, movie stars, fashion designs, and cultural elites. His first book, The Book of Beauty, was published in 1930, followed by dozens more which became a platform for him to show off his talent for illustrating. Beaton produced costumes and sets for both stage and screen, winning three academy awards, two for Best Costume Design (Gigi in 1958 and My Fair Lady in 1964) and one for Best Art Direction (My Fair Lady in 1964). Queen Elizabeth II knighted Beaton in 1972.

Biography

Beaton was born in London and studied at St. John's College, Cambridge University. He enjoyed international success as a photographer, illustrator and designer during his lifetime. Throughout his career he photographed fashions for major magazines including Vogue and Harper's Bazaar. His sketches and society caricatures were frequently seen in these publications. Beaton served as official portrait photographer for the British royal family and during World War II his photography documented war-torn London. As a set and costume designer he worked on School for Scandal, Gigi, My Fair Lady, Turandot, Anna Karenina, and An Ideal Husband. He won an Academy Award costume design for Gigi in 1958 and for set and costume design for My Fair Lady in 1965. Beaton authored approximately 39 books including Book of Beauty (1930), The Glass of Fashion (1954) and Fashion: an anthology (1971). His life is documented in a series of diaries published throughout his lifetime. In 1960 he received the French Legion of Honor and in 1972 he was knighted by H.R.M. Queen Elizabeth.

(The above biographical note was copied from a collection record in FIT's OneSearch library catalog; while no citations are present, it is presumed to have been researched and written by librarians.)

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