The Face of the World

London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 1957 . First edition. Cloth. Very Good/Good Only. 11.5" by 9". Cecil Beaton. The first edition of this beautiful travel work from Cecil Beaton, illustrated throughout with his original portrait and travel photography. The first edition, first impression of this work, in the original unclipped dust wrapper, designed by Beaton himself.Cecil Beaton's beautiful collection of portraits from around the world, a wonderful tribute to some of the famous people of the time, as well as ordinary people. Some individuals covered in this work include Julie Andrews, Audrey Hepburn, Nancy Mitford, Evelyn Waugh, Grace Kelly, Laurence Olivier, Marylin Monroe, Marlon Brando and Picasso.Illustrated throughout with full page and in-text photographs, as well as Beaton's vignette illustrations, and with a mixture of portrait and travel photography.A number of the pages are printed on blue, yellow, or green paper.A wonderful collection of portraits of the most iconic figures of mid twentieth century popular culture, from renowned fashion, portrait, and war photographer Cecil Beaton, celebrated for his stage and costume design for films and theatre, including his Academy Award winning costume design for the films 'Gigi' and 'My Fair Lady'. In the publisher's original cloth binding, with price unclipped dust wrapper. Bumping to back strip head and tail, and board perimeters. Spotting to tail of front board, with a few further light spots to front board head and rear board tail. Dust wrapper front wrap detached from rear wrap and back strip. With only the back strip head remaining, and light chipping to back strip head. Loss to tail of rear wrap. Closed tears and significant edge wear to tail of front wrap. Internally, firmly bound. Pages bright, with significant spotting to half title and perimeters of first few leaves. Further significant spotting to final seven leaves of text, with plates remaining bright. Very Good