Sir Cecil Beaton (1904–1980) was a photographer in the 1920s for Vanity Fair and Vogue. As a portraitist, he photographed the stars of fashion, society, and the art worlds, and was considered the unofficial court photographer of the British royal family. He was also an Oscar-winning stage and costume designer. Hugo Vickers is Beaton’s official biographer and literary executor. He has lectured about him all over the world and assisted with the many exhibitions devoted to Beaton.