Cecil Beaton: The Authorized Biography
Condition: SECONDHAND
This is a secondhand book. The jacket image is a photograph of the exact copy we have in stock. This image shows the condition of this book. Further condition remarks are below.
Condition remarks:
Book: Good
Jacket: Worn/faded, no tears
Pages: Good , price clipped
Markings: Previous owner
A landmark work of biographical non-fiction, Hugo Vickers' exhaustive and authoritative portrait chronicles the extraordinary life of Cecil Beaton — photographer, diarist, stage designer, and one of the twentieth century's most flamboyant creative personalities. Drawing on unprecedented access to Beaton's private diaries, letters, and personal archives, Vickers uncovers the full arc of a life lived at the glittering intersection of art, fashion, and high society, from Beaton's ambitious rise through London and Hollywood to his celebrated work for the British royal family and his iconic contributions to stage and screen, including his Oscar-winning designs for My Fair Lady. The tone is both meticulous and richly atmospheric, presenting Beaton not merely as a glamorous figure but as a complex, often contradictory man driven by insecurity, ambition, and an insatiable hunger for beauty. Vickers illustrates with candor the personal struggles — including Beaton's carefully guarded private life and his complicated relationships — that lay beneath the polished, witty public persona. The result is a definitive biography that stands as an essential record of an era when style itself was considered a serious art form.
Author: Hugo Vickers
Format: Hardback
Published: 1985, Weidenfeld and Nicolson
Genre: Biography
Condition remarks:
Book: Good
Jacket: Worn/faded, no tears
Pages: Good , price clipped
Markings: Previous owner
A landmark work of biographical non-fiction, Hugo Vickers' exhaustive and authoritative portrait chronicles the extraordinary life of Cecil Beaton — photographer, diarist, stage designer, and one of the twentieth century's most flamboyant creative personalities. Drawing on unprecedented access to Beaton's private diaries, letters, and personal archives, Vickers uncovers the full arc of a life lived at the glittering intersection of art, fashion, and high society, from Beaton's ambitious rise through London and Hollywood to his celebrated work for the British royal family and his iconic contributions to stage and screen, including his Oscar-winning designs for My Fair Lady. The tone is both meticulous and richly atmospheric, presenting Beaton not merely as a glamorous figure but as a complex, often contradictory man driven by insecurity, ambition, and an insatiable hunger for beauty. Vickers illustrates with candor the personal struggles — including Beaton's carefully guarded private life and his complicated relationships — that lay beneath the polished, witty public persona. The result is a definitive biography that stands as an essential record of an era when style itself was considered a serious art form.