It's true that, at 103rd Street and Fifth Avenue, the Museum of the City of New York might seem to be a little out of the way, and we have to admit that we haven't been up to the Upper Upper East Side to visit in a while. It's worth making the effort, however, at least for the next few months, to see Cecil Beaton: The New York Years which runs through February 20th. The exhibition focuses on the famed British multi-hyphenate (Photographer-Artist-Costume & Set Designer) and his work in New York throughout the 20th Century. Beginning with his early work as a fashion photographer and his later moves into portraiture and work designing for Ballet, Opera and Broadway Shows, the show chronicles how Beaton's influential efforts linked him to prominent figures of the times, and how his own social prominence made him into an almost proto-Warhol type of figure. The show includes an abundance of photographs along with samples from magazines, books and several stage costumes designed by Beaton (pictured above with Truman Capote in an image from the show). It's an eye opening look at how a creative individual crafted a unique career before the era of the internet and the kinds of social media we have all become so accustomed to so quickly.
Cecil Beaton: The New York Years through February 20th at the Museum of the City of New York 1220 Fifth Avenue at 103rd Street, Upper East Side
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