Beaton and Garbo trivia

This 1920's sofa from Cecil Beatons house was sold  at an auction in 1980 after Beaton had died. There are photos of Gaebo sitting on this sofa ( from early 1950s) from his Reddish House in Broadchalke.

Thanks to Dirk and Bjorn

Cecil Beaton for long obsessed by Greta Garbo's image, finally met Garbo in February 1932 at a party given by the Eddie Gouldings in Hollywood.

The "framed" rose

He relates "A huge vase of yellow roses freshly sprayed with water had been placed on the bar". As Garbo looked at it, she intoned "A rose that lives and dies and never again returns".

She picked a rose and kissed it, fingered it with an infinite variety of caresses and raised it above her head.

Did you know ?

 In 1947  Cecil Beaton  was asked to do the set design and the costumes for  Garbo's  comeback picture  (rumored to be The
     Cherry Orchard) but Garbo thought that such a role wouldn't be good for her image as a big star.

 During a trip to Los Angeles in 1930, celebrity photographer Cecil Beaton had spent a considerable amount of time pursuing
     Garbo for a possible Vogue sitting;  but the Metro publicity department offered him Joan Crawford or Norma Shearer instead.
     By 1932, studios sought Beaton out to arrange special photo sessions with their top stars but still no Garbo.

Beaton's bedroom

The bedroom of Beaton's house in England, Reddish House - Wiltshire. On a table is a picture of Garbo. Greta often visited him in England.

Beaton's bedroom

Beaton's address book

In the mid 1990s, those were sold at an auction.

Ms. Hose was the assistant to Cecil Beaton and inherited his library which is now available at Potterton. Amongst the collection are Beaton's address books (European and United States and the guestbook from his Memorial Service here in New York in 1980).

While we were looking through the guestbook and JH was photographing it, coincidentally Carmen Dell‘Orefice happened along just as we had noticed her signature in the guestbook.

  
Pictures from the auction day

She told us that she was first photographed by Beaton when she was fourteen at the beginning of her modeling career, which has now stretched through six decades.

The entire collection of 80 books, many signed and now rare first editions is priced at $45,000.