Cecil Beaton at Beetles+Huxley

Cecil Beaton at Beetles+Huxley

MonoVisions Black & White Photo Contest 2025

An exhibition of vintage photographs by Cecil Beaton will trace his career from his early works in the 1920s through to the 1960s.

As a prominent member of the ‘Bright Young Things’ in London during the 1920s, Beaton was uniquely placed to photograph a generation of young socialites, avant-garde artists and writers. Stylish and experimental, his bold use of pattern, line and texture reflects the extravagance of the era and the high-spirited characters of the ‘Bright Young Things’.

His photographs provide an insight into this enduringly intriguing group, and both the public and private images they fashioned for themselves. Portraits include early photographs of his mother and his two sisters, Baba and Nancy, in theatrical costumes, alongside society figures such as poet and critic Edith Sitwell, as well as actresses Talullah Bankhead and Anna May Wong.

Beaton quickly became known for his theatrical use of elaborate props, costumes, and hand painted backdrops. He was celebrated for his ability to deftly reference the history of art, as well as the subtle use of motifs borrowed from emerging European Surrealism. Portraits of artists and designers in the exhibition include Salvador Dali, Elsa Schiaparelli and Coco Chanel.

Beaton’s career as an internationally renowned fashion photographer evolved naturally from his work as a society portraitist, and flourished under the patronage of Vogue, first in London and Paris, and by 1929, New York. A number of works in the exhibition demonstrate his innovative and distinctive fashion photography, and were produced during his time working for American Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar.

Beetles+Huxley
3-5 Swallow Street,
London, W1B 4DE
www.beetlesandhuxley.com

  Nancy and Baba Beaton, 1924  Cecil Beaton

Nancy and Baba Beaton, 1924 Cecil Beaton

  Mrs Beaton, c. 1925  Cecil Beaton

Mrs Beaton, c. 1925 Cecil Beaton

  Baba Beaton and Prince Galitzine, 1927  Cecil Beaton

Baba Beaton and Prince Galitzine, 1927 Cecil Beaton

  Edith Sitwell, 1926  Cecil Beaton

Edith Sitwell, 1926 Cecil Beaton

  Anne Armstrong-Jones, 1928  Cecil Beaton

Anne Armstrong-Jones, 1928 Cecil Beaton

  Zita and Teresa Jungman, 1927  Cecil Beaton

Zita and Teresa Jungman, 1927 Cecil Beaton


MonoVisions Black & White Photo Contest 2025