Cecil Walter Hardy Beaton was born in London on January 1904 to a merchant family. He was educated at Heath Mount School and St. Cyprian's School in Eastbourne. It was in the latter school he became fascinated in the arts, fully delving in his musical talents and photography which he had learned from a nanny in Beaton's young age. While in school, Beaton would send pictures into society magazines including Vogue. He had left St. John's College in Cambridge.
Beaton moved to New York for awhile until he attained a contract with Conde Nast Publications to take photographs only for them for several thousand pounds a year. He would eventually become a staff photographer for Vogue until being fired for inserting Anti-Semitic phrase in an American issue. But he maintained many celebrity friends and immediately fell in love with Greta Garbo, a common visitor at his home, Reddish Home.
After World War 2, he began his stage career. In a 1946 revival of "Lady Windmere's Fan," Beaton had designed both sets, costumes, and lighting as well as acted. This brought him to be in the orbit of Lerner and Loewe. Beaton would end up designing costumes as well as sets for their film musicals "My Fair Lady" and "Gigi" which got him nominated for the Academy Award for Best Costume Design. He won for both films.
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| "Gigi" (1958) |
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| "My Fair Lady" (1956) |
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| "Anna Karenina" (1948) |
