The Best of Beaton

With notes on the photographs by Cecil Beaton. Introduction by Truman Capote.

London. Weidenfeld and Nicolson. 1968. First edition. Black buckram-bound hardback, dust jacket. 248 pages. Illustrated with 8 colour and over 300 black and white photographs. 310 x 235mm (12¼ x 9¼"). 1.7kg. . English. Very good, in good dust jacket; jacket is rubbed at spine ends and forecorners, occasional small tears to top edge, longer tear to front panel, slight fading to spine, not price-clipped; internally clean with no inscriptions.

Arguably the best anthology of Cecil Beaton's photographs, having been compiled by Beaton himself and being accompanied by his own words. The Best of Beaton includes his early society portraits, his fashion photographs, his images of Hollywood stars, the war photographs, his travel work and his portraits of eminent figures. The whole reveals the sheer brilliance and fecundity of Beaton's output, capturing so many aspects of the twentieth century. The book was released during the same year as Beaton's triumphant exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery, the first photographic exhibition to be held there. Beaton's good friend Truman Capote provides the introduction.