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The Art of the Scrapbook

by habituallychic

11 . 17 . 10
I could spend a week discussing Cecil Beaton.  He was a photographer, set designer, costume designer, interior designer, diarist, style icon, and probably more.  Among the highlights of his career were the sets and costumes he designed for Gigi and My Fair Lady as well as the wedding photos he took of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor.  If you really want to really learn about this intriguing man, then I suggest picking up Beaton: The Art of the Scrapbook from Assouline.  I will warn you that the volume is a bit expensive and quite heavy.  I could barely lift it off the shelf to leaf through it but it’s definitely worth it.  Looking through the pages of images is like looking into Cecil Beaton’s mind and creative process. “Beaton’s scrapbooks allowed the artist to play with pictures he had taken (and perhaps those he wished he had) in the dreamspace of artifice that was always his favorite setting.”  Definitely makes me want to start a scrapbook but then again, my blog is my modern version of a scrapbook. 
“Be daring, be different, be impractical, be anything that will assert integrity of purpose and imaginative vision against the play-it-safers, the creatures of the commonplace, the slaves of the ordinary.” – Cecil Beaton

16 Comments
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  1. Tara Dillard November 17, 2010 | 3:12 pm

    Kindred spirit, I’m reading his biography now. Yummy.

    Garden & Be Well, XO Tara

  2. Style Maniac November 17, 2010 | 3:14 pm

    oh, yes isn’t that true! our blogs are modern versions of a scrapbook … and so much less messy and easy to share

  3. robin baron November 17, 2010 | 3:30 pm

    GREAT quote! I can’t believe I have never heard that one before! Very inspiring post I love it!

  4. Karena November 17, 2010 | 3:31 pm

    Heather thank you so much for sharing about a most fascinating man, I would love to peruse this book at leisure! From what I have seen it is magnificent!

    xoxo
    Karena

    Art by Karena

  5. Teresa at Splendid Sass November 17, 2010 | 3:58 pm

    Such a beautiful book. So much talent.
    Have a nice day, Heather.
    Teresa

  6. Alice Olive November 17, 2010 | 4:08 pm

    I think my large cork/mood board at home is another version scrapbook. I love that quote!

  7. splendidmarket.com November 17, 2010 | 4:25 pm

    Where is my magnifying glass? I want to study every image. Thank you for the intro — it will be a hit on the coffee table.

  8. Nadine2point0 November 17, 2010 | 4:36 pm

    Great post – I have always been a pack rat with little bits of paper and receipts and magazine photos I like…I also keep any greeting card received if the sender has written something meaningful.

  9. Luciane From HomeBunch.com November 17, 2010 | 4:42 pm

    Heather,

    This is soooo interesting!

    Thanks again!

    Luciane at HomeBunch.com

  10. quintessence November 17, 2010 | 5:17 pm

    Am DYING for this book – I have an old book of his photographs of the royal family that we published at S&S years ago that I still love. The other album that was fabulous was Slim Keith’s. I art directed her book jacket and spent a day with her going through her incredible albums (the old fashioned kind with white corners on black paper) – the only bad thing was that her chain smoking almost killed me!

  11. kim c November 17, 2010 | 6:30 pm

    The book looks beautiful – and my kind of exercise lugging it home! Thank you for this post as I have a stack of old family photos that need to get into an album/ scrap book (that I’ve been avoiding like the plague). Now I’m feeling a little more motivated to tackle it & try something a little more interesting & creative – like Beaton… well, I can try!! Great quote too – Thanks again!

  12. Meredith November 17, 2010 | 8:27 pm

    These are wonderful! I may just have to use them as inspiration as I begin to scrapbook my summer adventures through Florence, Italy and New York City! Hope you’re doing well!

    Meredith

  13. mydesignchic November 18, 2010 | 2:29 am

    Oh my, I have to have this book now…amazing!!

  14. Slim Paley November 18, 2010 | 6:25 am

    oooh! how exciting! I have been a scrapbooker/collagist since I was 18 years old, so I am very excited to put this on my Christmas “Wish List”!

  15. Indigo November 18, 2010 | 7:02 am

    The book looks amazing and will be one for the Christmas wish list I think.

  16. ELENA - WEDDING DESIGNER November 18, 2010 | 12:11 pm

    This post is very inspiring! thaks!