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Cecil Beaton Black and White Photography

British, 1904-1980

Cecil Beaton developed a distinctive style of photography where the subject was immersed in backgrounds made of unusual materials such as paper-mâché or aluminum foil. A socialite who rubbed elbows with royalty, celebrities and the wealthy aristocracy, the British photographer captured some of the most famous names of his time. 

Beaton was born in London in 1904 to a successful lumber merchant and amateur actor. He received his first camera as a gift at age 11. Beaton later attended St. John’s College in Cambridge and studied art, history and architecture. He dropped out in 1925 and went to work in the family lumber business, but his free time was spent absorbed in photography. 

Beaton befriended Sir Osbert Sitwell, who was captivated by his photographs and funded his first exhibition. It was an immediate sensation, leading to work with major magazines.

With a photography contract from Condé Nast, Beaton left for New York. By the end of the 1920s, he had worked as a staff photographer for Vanity Fair and Vogue. He continued to cultivate his unique portraiture style and published his work in several books. One of his greatest achievements was a commission from the British Royal Family in 1939, a relationship which endured for decades. During World War II, he served as a wartime photographer in Africa and East Asia.

After the war, Beaton returned to private portrait commissions. He also began designing costumes and sets for theater and the silver screen, winning an Academy Award for Best Costume Design for Gigi and awards for costume design and art direction for My Fair Lady. He also won costume design Tony awards for the Broadway shows Quadrille, My Fair Lady, Saratoga and Coco. 

Beaton designed the sets and costumes for a production of the opera Turandot at the Metropolitan Opera in New York and then at Covent Garden, London. His diaries, which were scrapbooks of his life and interests, have garnered wide interest, and several volumes of them have been published.

On 1stDibs, find Cecil Beaton’s photography, drawings and watercolors, paintings and more.

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Artist: Cecil Beaton
Portfolio of 12 celebrity portraits, 1981 LIMITED EDITION, numbered.
Portfolio of 12 celebrity portraits, 1981 LIMITED EDITION, numbered.

Cecil BeatonPortfolio of 12 celebrity portraits, 1981 LIMITED EDITION, numbered., 1981

$950

Portfolio of 12 celebrity portraits, 1981 LIMITED EDITION, numbered.

By Cecil Beaton

Located in Middletown, NY

Beaton, Cecil & Daniela Palazzoli (Editor) Cecil Beaton – Portfolio, 1981; Electa Editrice Portfolios - LIMITED EDITION Milano, Italy: Electa Editrice Publishers, 1981. Limited Edition Portfolio. This is no. 785 out of an edtion of 1000. A portfolio of twelve heliogravure plates with tissue guard-leaves and limitation leaflet with preface. Housed in portfolio and slipcover, portfolio: 16 1/4 x 12 1/2 in (415 x 317 mm); each print approximately 8 5/8 x 6 5/8 in (220 x 170 mm). Subjects include Gary Cooper, 1930s; Buster Keaton, 1931; Marlene Dietrich, 1935; John Wiessmuller, 1933; Greta Garbo, 1946; Marlon Brando, 1947; Audrey Hepburn, 1954; Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., Dean Martin in "High Society", 1956; Marilyn Monroe, 1952; Rudolf Nureyev, November, 1962; Edith Sitwell, 1962; and Pablo Picasso...

Category

20th Century Modern Cecil Beaton Black and White Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Cecil Beaton: 1904-1980 by Electa Editrice Publishers
Cecil Beaton: 1904-1980 by Electa Editrice Publishers

Cecil BeatonCecil Beaton: 1904-1980 by Electa Editrice Publishers, 1982

$975

Cecil Beaton: 1904-1980 by Electa Editrice Publishers

By Cecil Beaton

Located in New York, NY

"Cecil Beaton (1904-1980)", Published by Electa Editrice Portfolios, 16.25 x 12.50, 1982 A portfolio of twelve heliogravure plates with tissue guard-leaves and limitation leaflet wi...

Category

1980s Cecil Beaton Black and White Photography

Materials

Photographic Film

Portfolio of 12 celebrity portraits, 1982
Portfolio of 12 celebrity portraits, 1982

Cecil BeatonPortfolio of 12 celebrity portraits, 1982, 1982

$700

Portfolio of 12 celebrity portraits, 1982

By Cecil Beaton

Located in Middletown, NY

Milan / New York: Electa Editrice / Rizzoli International Publications, 1982. A portfolio of twelve heliogravure plates with tissue guard-leaves, housed in portfolio and slipcover....

Category

20th Century Modern Cecil Beaton Black and White Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Portrait Charles Henri Ford by Cecil Beaton (circa 1937) - Original Vintage
Portrait Charles Henri Ford by Cecil Beaton (circa 1937) - Original Vintage

Cecil BeatonPortrait Charles Henri Ford by Cecil Beaton (circa 1937) - Original Vintage, 1937

$4,697

Portrait Charles Henri Ford by Cecil Beaton (circa 1937) - Original Vintage

By Cecil Beaton

Located in Cologne, DE

Portrait: Charles Henri Ford by Cecil Beaton (ca. 1937) - Vintage In this striking black-and-white portrait, Charles Henri Ford stands poised against a backdrop of blooming elderflow...

Category

1930s Modern Cecil Beaton Black and White Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Marilyn Monroe, New York

Cecil BeatonMarilyn Monroe, New York, 1956

Price Upon Request

Marilyn Monroe, New York

By Cecil Beaton

Located in New York, NY

Estate Stamped Marilyn turned up almost 2 hours late for her photo session with Cecil Beaton at the Ambassador Hotel in New York. Nevertheless, Beaton was captivated by the contrad...

Category

1950s Cecil Beaton Black and White Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Marilyn Monroe (Contact Sheet), New York

Cecil BeatonMarilyn Monroe (Contact Sheet), New York, 1956

Price Upon Request

Marilyn Monroe (Contact Sheet), New York

By Cecil Beaton

Located in New York, NY

Signed by the printer (Ed Pfizenmaier) on the verso Marilyn turned up almost 2 hours late for her photo session with Cecil Beaton at the Ambassador Hotel in New York. Nevertheless,...

Category

1950s Cecil Beaton Black and White Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Flower Study, Window Sill

Cecil BeatonFlower Study, Window Sill, 1950

Price Upon Request

Flower Study, Window Sill

By Cecil Beaton

Located in London, GB

Stamped with Odette Arnaud and Cecil Beaton stamps on the reverse Silver gelatin print, printed circa 1950

Category

1950s Cecil Beaton Black and White Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Charles James Dresses, New York

Cecil BeatonCharles James Dresses, New York, 1948

Price Upon Request

Charles James Dresses, New York

By Cecil Beaton

Located in New York, NY

Stamped by the photographer's estate.

Category

1940s Cecil Beaton Black and White Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Models wearing Schiaparelli Desk Suit, Vogue, 1936 - Cecil Beaton (photography)

Cecil BeatonModels wearing Schiaparelli Desk Suit, Vogue, 1936 - Cecil Beaton (photography), 1930s

Price Upon Request

Models wearing Schiaparelli Desk Suit, Vogue, 1936 - Cecil Beaton (photography)

By Cecil Beaton

Located in London, GB

Fashion Picture, Paris, 1930s - Cecil Beaton (Portrait Photography) Inscribed with title in unknown hand on reverse of mount. Silver gelatin print, printed before 1945, mounted on bo...

Category

1930s Cecil Beaton Black and White Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Ruth Ford, Paris, 1936 - Cecil Beaton (Portrait Photography)

Cecil BeatonRuth Ford, Paris, 1936 - Cecil Beaton (Portrait Photography), 1936

Price Upon Request

Ruth Ford, Paris, 1936 - Cecil Beaton (Portrait Photography)

By Cecil Beaton

Located in London, GB

Ruth Ford, Paris, 1936 - Cecil Beaton (Portrait Photography) Inscribed 'Beaton Cavalcade: 53' on reverse of mount. Silver gelatin print, printed before 1945,...

Category

Mid-20th Century Cecil Beaton Black and White Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Baba and Nancy Beaton, circa 1926 - Cecil Beaton (Portrait Photography)

Cecil BeatonBaba and Nancy Beaton, circa 1926 - Cecil Beaton (Portrait Photography), 1926

Price Upon Request

Baba and Nancy Beaton, circa 1926 - Cecil Beaton (Portrait Photography)

By Cecil Beaton

Located in London, GB

Baba and Nancy Beaton, circa 1926 - Cecil Beaton (Portrait Photography) Silver gelatin print, printed circa 1926, mounted on board 9 1/2 x 7 1/2 inches Cecil Beaton (1904-1980) had ...

Category

1920s Cecil Beaton Black and White Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

Audrey Hepburn

Cecil BeatonAudrey Hepburn, 1954

Price Upon Request

Audrey Hepburn

By Cecil Beaton

Located in New York, NY

Print is stamped by the photographer's estate.

Category

1950s Cecil Beaton Black and White Photography

Materials

Silver Gelatin

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Located in London, GB

'Queen Elizabeth II' by Cecil Beaton (1904-80) Queen Elizabeth II wearing the sash of the Order of the Garter and a diamond and pearl diadem made for King George IV, Buckingham Palac...

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Cecil Beaton'Queen Elizabeth II' Victoria & Albert Museum London LIMITED EDITION, 1968

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Cecil Beaton black and white photography for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Cecil Beaton black and white photography available for sale on 1stDibs. You can also browse by medium to find art by Cecil Beaton in silver gelatin print, archival pigment print, pigment print and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 20th century and is mostly associated with the modern style. Not every interior allows for large Cecil Beaton black and white photography, so small editions measuring 6 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Thurston Hopkins, Reg Lancaster, and David Bailey. Cecil Beaton black and white photography prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $495 and tops out at $1,666, while the average work can sell for $790.

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Questions About Cecil Beaton Black and White Photography
  • What was Cecil Beaton inspired by?
    1 Answer
    1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022
    When he was young, Cecil Beaton became enamored by the portraits of high-society women and actresses in the newspapers. At age 11, his nurse taught him how to use a camera and develop film. You can shop a selection of Cecil Beaton’s pieces from some of the world’s top art dealers on 1stDibs.

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