Cecil Beaton (British, 1904-1980): Chinese Sweetseller with Sugar Sculptures, 1945. Vintage gelatin silver print. Photographed in Chengtu, Sze-chwan, China. Hinged to mat board. Labeled British Official Photograph (Ministry of Information) Crown Copyright.
Sir Cecil Walter Hardy Beaton, was a British fashion, portrait, and war photographer, diarist, painter, and interior designer, as well as an Oscar–winning stage and costume designer for films and the theatre.
After Beaton was sacked by American Vogue magazine in 1938 (for inserting anti-Semitic cartoons into the margins of his photos)he was employed by the (British) Ministry of Information, during which time he took more than 7,000 photos. Some of the most fascinating photographs were taken during a visit Beaton made in 1944 to parts of the Republic of China controlled by the Kuomintang (KMT, Chinese Nationalist Party). Although he was kept well away from the frontline, he still managed to capture iconic wartime images.

7.75 x 8 inches photo; 19.5 x 16 9 inches mat.

Private collection, Boston.


Good condition considering age; The photo is lightly warped/ curved; light toning visible in top corners.

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