Ce catalogue a été édité à l'occasion de l'exposition Beaton Portraits présentée à la National Portrait Gallery, à Londres, du 5 février au 31 mai 2004.

One of the most distinguished photographers of the twentieth century, Cecil Beaton is renowned for his portraits of well-known faces from the worlds of fashion, literature and film. His legacy continues through the works of such contemporary photographers as Johnnie Shand Kydd, David Bailey and Mario Testino.

Beaton's talents were multi-faceted. He was an accomplished illustrator, painter, writer and diarist and in addition designed sets and costumes for film, theater and opera. However, it was as a photographer that Beaton displayed real genius. For many years he was a major contributor to Vogue in London, Paris and New York.