As one of the twentieth century’s most important photographers, Cecil Beaton helped invent the cult of the celebrity image while pushing the boundaries of his art form with innovative techniques and staging. In the course of his decades-long career as a photographer for Vogue and Vanity Fair, as well as a British war correspondent, Cecil Beaton documented lives both famous and quotidian—including his own, in dozens of scrapbooks now held by Sotheby’s London.

In these pages, reproduced here for the very first time, the inner vision of the man behind the camera takes center stage. Composed of his own prints and of clippings from magazines, newspapers, and playbills, the pages are an instructive record of his creative process. His famous eye alighted on society figures, royals, dancers, actors, statesmen, and natives in ceremonial garb, picking out visual rhymes and witty juxtapositions. To flip through the pages is to enter a fabulous and surreal party where Tallulah Bankhead rubs shoulders with a bust of Voltaire and a portrait of Stravinsky; where Beaton’s first trip on the Queen Mary coincides with Queen Elizabeth’s coronation. The precursor to the “mood board,” 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.

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17 Dexter Avenue

Birmingham, Alabama 35213

Lacquered White Ottoman Tray

$178.00

Our Lacquered White Tray features 20 coats of high gloss lacquer, hand-polished between each coat, the base is covered in soft black velvet with our foil blocked logo.

Comes beautifully gift boxed. Clean with a soft damp cloth.

22 x 16 x 2.5"

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17 Dexter Avenue

Birmingham, Alabama 35213

Ibiza Bohemia

$95.00

Ibiza Bohemia by Assouline

From roaring nightlife to peaceful yoga retreats, Ibiza’s hippie-chic atmosphere is its hallmark. This quintessential Mediterranean hot spot has served as an escape for artists, creatives, and musicians alike for decades. It is a place to reinvent oneself, to walk the fine line between civilization and wilderness, and to discover bliss. Ibiza Bohemia explores the island’s scenic Balearic cliffs, its legendary cast of characters, and the archetypal interiors that define its signature style.

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17 Dexter Avenue

Birmingham, Alabama 35213

Small Match Cloche Moss

$30.00

We discovered this vessel shape in Japan and while we weren’t certain what it was for, we knew it was perfect for us. The original was tiny and clear so we made it large enough to hold our best-selling 4" matches and updated it in this sophisticated color palette. Each piece is hand blown and fitted with a cork stopper in the bottom. It reminds us of a vintage glass cloche, originally used to protect emerging seedlings in gardens. Once the matches are gone, it can be a curiosity used to display a found specimen.

• 120 matchsticks
• 7” high x 3 “ wide
• hand blown glass
• strike-on-bottle flint
• cork stopper

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17 Dexter Avenue

Birmingham, Alabama 35213

Large Fireplace Match Cloche Sky

$48.00

We discovered this vessel shape in Japan and while we weren’t certain what it was for, we knew it was perfect for us. The original was tiny and clear so we made it large enough to hold our best-selling 8" matches and updated it in this sophisticated color palette. Each piece is hand blown and fitted with a cork stopper in the bottom. It reminds us of a vintage glass cloche, originally used to protect emerging seedlings in gardens. Once the matches are gone, it can be a curiosity used to display a found specimen.

• 120 match sticks
• 11 ¼˝ high x 3 ½˝ wide
• hand blown glass
• strike-on-bottle flint
• cork stopper

Visit us

17 Dexter Avenue

Birmingham, Alabama 35213

Large Fireplace Match Cloche Moss

$48.00

We discovered this vessel shape in Japan and while we weren’t certain what it was for, we knew it was perfect for us. The original was tiny and clear so we made it large enough to hold our best-selling 8" matches and updated it in this sophisticated color palette. Each piece is hand blown and fitted with a cork stopper in the bottom. It reminds us of a vintage glass cloche, originally used to protect emerging seedlings in gardens. Once the matches are gone, it can be a curiosity used to display a found specimen.

• 120 match sticks
• 11 ¼˝ high x 3 ½˝ wide
• hand blown glass
• strike-on-bottle flint
• cork stopper

Visit us

17 Dexter Avenue

Birmingham, Alabama 35213

Large Fireplace Match Cloche Smoke

$48.00

We discovered this vessel shape in Japan and while we weren’t certain what it was for, we knew it was perfect for us. The original was tiny and clear so we made it large enough to hold our best-selling 8" matches and updated it in this sophisticated color palette. Each piece is hand blown and fitted with a cork stopper in the bottom. It reminds us of a vintage glass cloche, originally used to protect emerging seedlings in gardens. Once the matches are gone, it can be a curiosity used to display a found specimen.

• 120 match sticks
• 11 ¼˝ high x 3 ½˝ wide
• hand blown glass
• strike-on-bottle flint
• cork stopper

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17 Dexter Avenue

Birmingham, Alabama 35213

Small Match Cloche Ribbed Clear - white tip

$30.00

The word helix, Greek for twisted, perfectly describes the ribbed inside of our new, clear match cloche collection. The spiral texture adds interest and updates our newest style of match cloche. Available in three match-tip colors, black, white and red, they are equally at home in a modern-industrial space as in a home with more traditional decor. Crafted from hand-blown glass with 120 four-inch matches and a strike-on-bottle flint.

• 120 match sticks
• 7˝ high x 3˝ wide
• hand blown glass
• strike-on-bottle flint
• cork stopper

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17 Dexter Avenue

Birmingham, Alabama 35213

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