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Cecil Beaton (British, 1904-1980) A costume design for Dorothy Dickson as 'Lady Grayston' in Our Betters, Playhouse, circa 1945-46 image 1
Cecil Beaton (British, 1904-1980) A costume design for Dorothy Dickson as 'Lady Grayston' in Our Betters, Playhouse, circa 1945-46 image 2
Cecil Beaton (British, 1904-1980) A costume design for Dorothy Dickson as 'Lady Grayston' in Our Betters, Playhouse, circa 1945-46 image 3
The Roy Astley Collection: Theatrical Designs by Cecil Beaton and Oliver Messel
Lot 6AR

Cecil Beaton
(British, 1904-1980)
A costume design for Dorothy Dickson as 'Lady Grayston' in Our Betters, Playhouse, circa 1945-46

20 May – 3 June 2025, 12:00 BST
Online, London, Knightsbridge

Sold for £2,816 inc. premium

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Cecil Beaton (British, 1904-1980)

A costume design for Dorothy Dickson as 'Lady Grayston' in Our Betters, Playhouse, circa 1945-46
signed 'BEATON' (lower right), and variously inscribed with artist's annotations
watercolour, pen and ink, chalk and pencil
40 x 27cm (15 3/4 x 10 5/8in).

Footnotes

Literature
D. Mellor, Cecil Beaton, exhibition catalogue, Barbican Art Gallery, London, 1986, p.200, ill.p.201

Exhibited
The Barbican Art Gallery, London, Cecil Beaton, 16 May - 20 July 1986, no.K35

Our Betters is a comedy play written by Somerset Maugham. Set after WWI, it satirises the relationships between newly wealthy Americans and British high society. The play was first performed at the Nixon Theatre, New Jersey in 1917 before enjoying a long run in the West End from 1923. Ivor Novello returned the production to London in 1946, with Beaton being brought on to design the costumes.

Additional information

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