Police Force

ExpandFavoriteView PDF

Artist/Maker Cecil Beaton (British, 1904 - 1980)

Date1944; published 1945

MediumGelatin silver print

DimensionsImage: 10 1/16 × 9 5/8 in. (25.6 × 24.4 cm) Sheet: 10 1/16 × 9 5/8 in. (25.6 × 24.4 cm)

Credit LineGift of Barry H, Garfinkel, P1978,1980

Object number1982.15

Not on view

DescriptionCecil Beaton made photographs from the time he was a child. He studied photography and theater at St. John’s College, University of Cambridge, but left without a degree, becoming, in 1927, a leading contributor—not only of photographs but also of articles and illustrations—to British Vogue. From that time on, he received commissions from a variety of glossy magazines on both sides of the Atlantic and traveled to Hollywood frequently on assignment. In addition, he made numerous portraits, including of the British royal family and members of the government. During World War II, he photographed diplomats and conducted photographic surveys for the British Air Ministry, the Royal Air Force, and the Ministry of Information. Over seven months in 1944, Beaton traveled in the service of the Ministry of Information to India, Burma (present-day Myanmar), and China. China had been at war with Japan since 1937 and, in 1942, had joined forces with the Allies. During the trip, Beaton shot portraits of generals, intellectuals, local politicians, and war orphans along with scenes of teahouses, workplaces, and hospitals. He made this photograph with a Rolleiflex twin-lens reflex (TLR) camera in the Chinese city of Chengdu, Sichuan, a base of American operations against Japan. Of his time in Chengdu, Beaton wrote, “The light was brilliant, and I welcomed the opportunity of polishing off an enormous number of pictures. By the end of one day I had clicked my shutter at every sort of type.” Police Force was included in the resulting account of his journeys, Far East, which was published the following year and illustrated with his photographs. (SOURCE: Alcauskas, INNOVATIVE APPROACHES, HONORED TRADITIONS, 2017)

Collections

Additional Details

Alternate Titles Assistant Chief of Police with members of his force at A.R.P. Headquarters Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China

Exhibition History 2017
Clinton, NY (Ruth and Elmer Wellin Museum of Art, Hamilton College). "Innovative Approaches, Honored Traditions: The Ruth and Elmer Wellin Museum of Art at Five Years, Highlights from the Permanent Collection," September 9 - December 10, 2017 (cat. no. 81, illus.).

Provenance 1982: Hamilton College (Fred L. Emerson Gallery) by gift of Barry H. Garfinkel;
? - 1982: Barry H. Garfinkel;
?: Sotheby Parke Bernet.

Markings Stamps: artist's stamp CECIL / BEATON / PHOTOGRAPH on verso at lower center in blue ink; "From the / Beaton / Studio / Sotheby Parke Bernet / 2/2 [encircled and 2s are in pencil]" on verso at lower right in black ink.

Labels: tag on verso at upper center with "504 / 67%" in black ink; adhesive label on verso at lower center with "IB.2439 / c. BRITISH OFFICIAL PHOTOGRAPH (MINISTRY / OF INFORMATION) CROWN COPYRIGHT RESERVED. / (Picture issued 1945.) / A.R.P. IN CHENGTU, CHINA. / [underlined] Picture shows: - Assistant Chief of Police with members / of his force at A.R.P. Headquarters Chengtu, Sze-Chwan / Province, China"

Published References Katherine D. Alcauskas, INNOVATIVE APPROACHES, HONORED TRADITIONS: THE RUTH AND ELMER WELLIN MUSEUM OF ART AT FIVE YEARS, HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE PERMANENT COLLECTION (Clinton, NY: Wellin Museum of Art, 2017), p. 188.

Signature Not signed.

Inscribed Inscribed in pencil on verso at upper left: "CHINA"; in pencil on verso at upper left: "2016" [encircled]; in pencil on verso at upper right: "Sotheby"; inscribed on attached flap of paper in upper center of verso: "504" [encircled] and "67%"; stamped on verso in black ink: "CECIL BEATON PHOTOGRAPH"; Stamped "From the Sotheby's Studio Sotheby Parke Bernet 2/2"; stamped tombstone on attached paper on verso in black ink.