{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O1351869"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1351869/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2019LM3550/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2019LM3550/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"low","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2019LM3550","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O1351869","accessionNumber":"CIRC.6-1965","objectType":"Photograph","titles":[{"title":"Dame Edith Sitwell, 1962","type":""}],"summaryDescription":"Cecil Beaton launched his career as a society photographer with an exhibition in London in 1926, which quickly won him a contract with Vogue. Later, he became the official photographer to the British Royal Family, as well as an Oscar-winning stage and costume designer. In this photograph, Beaton has captured poet Dame Edith Sitwell (1887-1964) at multiple angles. He superimposed the individual negatives of each photograph to create a surrealist composition of Sitwell's turned gaze. Sitwell was celebrated for her unique style, often adorning herself in extravagant hats and turbans, and wearing several large jewel rings.","physicalDescription":"Black and white photograph mounted onto cardboard depicting British poet Dame Edith Sitwell captured from multiple angles wearing a feather hat against a white background of fabric and paper. The composition in this print is achieved by Beaton's superimposition of several negatives affording the portrait a surrealist effect. ","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Beaton, Cecil (Sir)","id":"A5902"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"","id":""}],"techniques":[{"text":"","id":""}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Photography","categories":[{"text":"Photographs","id":"THES48910"},{"text":"Portraits","id":"THES48906"},{"text":"Fashion","id":"THES48957"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"PDP","id":"THES48595"},"images":["2019LM3550"],"imageResolution":"low","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"LVLF","id":"THES49656"},"free":"","case":"X","shelf":"908","box":"B"}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Photograph","id":"AAT46300"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1962","earliest":"1962-01-01","latest":"1962-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Purchased for 5 guineas in 1965","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"285","unit":"mm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":"Taken from Departmental Circulation Register 1965"},{"dimension":"Width","value":"340","unit":"mm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"","value":"","unit":"","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"This photograph is printed from the same negative that Cecil Beaton used in his book Images (London: Weidenfeld and Nicholson, 1963). It was taken the same year as Edith Sitwell turned 75.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Photograph by Cecil Beaton of Dame Edith Sitwell, 1962","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Taken from Departmental Circulation Register 1966"}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["CIRC.6-1965"],"accessionNumberNum":"6","accessionNumberPrefix":"CIRC","accessionYear":1965,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-09","recordCreationDate":"2016-05-09","availableToBook":false}}