Christmas Card, 1960

McBEAN, Angus

Angus McBean produced self-portrait Christmas cards to send out to friends and family almost every year from 1933 until 1985. The cards document changing contemporary taste and the photographer’s own ageing appearance. They are highly personal, witty and show his endless capacity for technical invention. In his unpublished autobiography Look Back In Angus, McBean writes "I have used almost every known photographic device to bend the intractable medium to my will, and many times it has been multiple exposure". This photograph was taken on a car journey to Manchester during a thick fall of snow, with the assistance of David Ball. The decorative daisies, a popular 1960s motif, were added later.

We have a duty of care to all our audiences. This website draws on legacy collections data. We recognise that some of this information may be outdated or discriminatory and we're currently working to review our records. If you have any questions or comments on an artwork, please contact us.

Details

Collection

Amgueddfa Cymru – Museum Wales

Item Number

NMW A 29677

Creation/Production

McBEAN, Angus

McBean began his career in the theatre as mask-maker and scenery designer before turning to full-time theatre photography. McBean is renowned for his theatrical and inventive photography of the 1930s and 1940s. Imitated throughout his career, his influence especially in advertising is still prominent today. In 1935 he opened his own studio; and his prominent style was soon being published in glossy magazines. The Surrealist Exhibition in 1936 was an influence on McBean's theatrical portraits. After the Second World War he opened a larger studio in Covent Garden, and in the 1940s and 1950s was inundated with commissions from theatre companies. In the 1960s McBean photographed the Beatles for their first album.

Role: Photographer

Period: 1960