Cecil Beaton, The Strenuous Years, Diaries: 1948-55
Beaton, Cecil. The Strenuous Years, Diaries: 1948-55. First Edition. 1972. Book and dust jacket are both in very good condition—a few pages show foxing.
From the title, it’s apparent the years between 1948 and 1955 were not Cecil Beaton’s happiest. Fortunately, strenuous does not mean boring, and these years are some of Beaton’s most fascinating. He has a new maturity and purpose as he expands and adds depth to his career. His society friendships remain, but his insight into them—always perceptive—improves. He has become worldly. Entries on the deaths of Emerald Cunard and Duff Cooper are particularly good. He also covers his feud with the Laurence Oliviers, ongoing pursuit of an elusive Greta Garbo, and emergence as the official photographer of the British royal family.
“For most of us—if we are fortunate—each day seems to help us, even a little, along the road we have chosen to take. Often the ‘going’ is pleasant, and so beguiled are we by the interest on the wayside that we hardly notice that we are travelling.”
--Cecil Beaton