Angus McBean Exhibition : Cwtsh Gallery, Newport, South Wales, Until 5 October 2025 : What You'll See

 

McBEANIA

 WHAT IS ON THE WALLS AT CWTSH 

These are the images that festoon the walls at Cwtsh Art Gallery  Newport, until 5 October 2025.

In addition there are dozens of other Angus McBean photographs, theatre programmes, magazines and artefacts, to ogle. 

1. Actress VERA PEARCE, ( 1895-1966) : Surreal Image. 1938

2. Actress BEATRIX LEHMANN,  ( 1903-1979): Surreal Image. 1937

3. Actress and Aristocrat, RENE RAY, ( 1911-1993): Surreal Image. 1938

4. Actress PAMELA STANLEY, ( 1909-1991) :  Surreal Image. 1938

5. Film Director, JEAN RENOIR,  ( 1894-1979):1959

6. US- born Actress,  FRANCES DAY,  ( 1908-1994). Surreal Image. 1938

7. Actress HERMIONE GINGOLD, ( 1897-1987): Surreal Image. 1952

8. Actress HERMIONE BADDELEY, ( 1906-1986) : Surreal Image. 1938

9. US-born Actress, DOROTHY DICKSON, (1893-1995): Surreal Image 1938

AND Actress /Icon AUDREY HEPBURN, (1929-1993). Surreal Image. 1949

10.  QUENTIN CRISP, (1908-1990). Raconteur/ Author: Studio. 1930s

11. Actress, AMANDA BARRIE,( born 1935):  Film Studio. 1964

12. Actress GERALDINE McEWAN, (1932-2015): London Theatre. 1954

13. Actress  BEATRIX LEHMANN, (1903- 1979). Studio. 1938

14. Actress  VIVIEN LEIGH, (1913-1967): Stratford. 1955

15. Actress VANESSA REDGRAVE,  ( born 1937): London Theatre 1964

16. Actress/ Icon AUDREY HEPBURN, (1919-1993) : Poster. 1950

17. US Actress/Dancer MARY ELLIS, ( 1897-2003): London Theatre. 1954

18. Actor PAUL ROGERS, (1917-2013) : London Theatre.  1961

19.  Singer/ Actor TOMMY STEELE, ( born 1936).  Old Vic  Theatre. 1960

20. Actor IVOR  NOVELLO, ( 1892-1951):  Reprint/ Studio. 1930s

21. THE  BEVERLEY SISTERS :  Promotional for an LP Record.  1959.

22. Actor DOUGLAS TROW.  Born c1920s. Died 1992. Studio.    1950s

23. Actor  IVOR NOVELLO, ( 1892-1951):  Reprint / Studio.  1930s

24. Musical duo MICHAEL FLANDERS (1922-1975) & DONALD SWANN (1923-1994) c 1959

25. Actress VANESSA REDGRAVE, ( born 1937):  On Stage. 1960 

26. Actress  EDITH EVANS, ( 1888-1976). London Theatre.  1930s

27. Actress, MAGGIE SMITH, ( 1934-2024). Stage/ promotion. 1963

28.  Actress  EDITH EVANS,( 1888-1976).  London Theatre. 1949

29.  STAMPS ETC ON THE BACK OF PROOF PHOTOS by McBean

30. Actress, Dorothy Tutin, ( 1930-2001).  Studio.  1963

31.  Christmas Card  sent by  CHERRY  McBEAN. Angus’ mother

32.  Christmas Card  sent by  ANGUS  McBEAN to a friend 

33.  Another Christmas Card Sent by  CHERRY McBEAN. Angus’ mother

34-37.     Actress MARLENE DIETRICH, ( 1901-1992).  Film Studio. 1951

38. Actors DONALD SINDEN, ( 1923-2014)  &  PAUL ROGERS, (1917-2013). Stage 1961

39.  Actress ROSAMUND JOHN,  (1913- 1998).  Brighton Theatre. 1938

40.  Actors DENNIS PRICE, (1915-1973) & ROSAMUND JOHN (1913-1998). Stage. 1938 

41.   Actors in verse play “ JB”  by Archibald Macleish. London Theatre.  1961

42. Actress DAME  GWEN FRANGCON-DAVIES,  ( 1891-1992). Studio. 1950s 

43. EDITH EVANS (1888-1976)& ZOE CALDWELL ( 1933-2020). On Stage.  1959    

44. DONALD SINDEN, ( 1923-2014) &  CONSTANCE CUMMINGS, ( 1910-2005) Stage. 1961

45. Actor  RONALD LEWIS, ( 1928-1982).  London Theatre. 1955

46. Actor STEPHEN MURRAY, (1912-1983). London Theatre 1937

47. LAURENCE OLIVIER (1907-1989) & VIVIEN LEIGH( 1913-1967), Stratford. 1951

48. MICHAEL REDGRAVE (1908-1995 ) & YVONNE MITCHELL. RSC Stratford.  1953

49. LAURENCE OLIVIER,  (1907-1989 ).  RSC  Stratford.  1955

50. Actor RALPH RICHARDSON, ( 1902-1983). AND COMPANY RSC Stratford. 1956

51. MARIUS GORING (1912-1998) & YVONNE MITCHELL, ( 1925-1979). RSC 1953

52.  British-US Actor CHARLES LAUGHTON, (1899-1962). RSC  Stratford. 1959-60

53. RICHARD BURTON, (1925-1984 ). RSC Stratford. 1951

54. Actress  JOAN PLOWRIGHT, (1929-2025) & MAX ADRIAN (1903-1973), Chichester 1963

55. RICHARD BURTON, (1925-1984 ).   RSC Stratford. 1951

56. ROBERT HELPMANN, (1909-1986 ).  RSC Stratford. 1948

57.  May be MICHAEL GOODLIFFE (  1914-1976) and ROSEMARY LEACH ( 1935-2017)  c1961

58. RONALD LEWIS, ( 1928-1982). London Theatre. 1963

59. Actor  JOHN GIELGUD, ( 1904-2000).  RSC  Stratford. 1957-8

60. PATRICK LUDLOW, ( 1903-1996).  Studio. Post WW2.

61.  IVOR  NOVELLO ( 1892-1951)  and MARIUS GORING ( 1912-1998). London Theatre. 1936

62.  US Musical ‘OKLAHOMA’. DRURY LANE,  Howard Keel ( 1919-2004). London Stage. 1948 

63-65. US Musical “WEST SIDE STORY”  On  Stage Manchester/ London. 1958

66. VIVIEN LEIGH,  (1913-1967), London Theatre. 1950

 

RSC= Royal Shakespeare Company . Performances were staged at the Stratford Memorial Theatre, Stratford upon Avon, The Old Vic, London and The Aldwych Theatre, London.

RECORDS : LPs/ EPs/46s records on display are :

Flanders and Swan ( LP & 45);  South Pacific; Spike Milligan; Paul Robeson;  Maria Callas; Max Jaffe;  Shirley Bassey ( Showboat);  Mrs Mills; Amy Shuard;  Another of Mrs Mills; Noel Coward & Joan Sutherland;  Memories of Ivor Novello ( Vanessa Lee);  Danny Williams:  Freddie  &  the Dreamers;  T S Eliot;  Cliff Richard 1; Cliff Richard 2;  Cliff [ Richard] Me & My Shadows;  Russ Conway x 2; The Beverley Sisters; More Russ Conway; Helen Shipiro;  The Fabulous Shirley Bassey; Matt Monro; West Side Story; The Beatles ( Red Album); The Beatles Hits; The Beatles ( Blue Album); The Beatles: Love Me Do; The Beatles : Please, Please Me.  

 

WINDOW DISPLAYS

 

THEATRE PROGRAMMES  & MAGS:  A SELECTION OF SHOWS PHOTOGRAPHED BY McBEAN

Actor FRASER CAMERON LOWDEN, ( 1932-2003): Studio 1959. The images from “ West Side Story”  originate from Fraser’s Archive.

Audrey Hepburn : Collage by various photographers.

The book on display beneath The Hepburn  Collage  is “Angus McBean: Portraits”  by Terence Pepper. National Portrait Gallery Publications. ( 2006).

Actress MARGARET LEIGHTON, (1922-1976), as Ariel in Shakespeare’s  “ THE TEMPEST” Stratford Memorial Theatre,   1952  Season.

 

Acknowledgements :

Angus McBean: MASTERS OF PHOTOGRAPHY SERIES: Adrian Woodhouse. Macdonald. (1985)

Angus McBean “Facemaker” : by  Adrian Woodhouse. Alma Books ( 2006).

British Newspapers in particular “ The Sketch” and “The Tatler” Archives.

With much thanks to everyone at  Cwtsh Arts Centre, Newport , and  in particular  John Briggs.

Further Enquiries  Contact Will Cross by email   williecross@aol.com

 

Katharine Carnegie, Viscountess Tredegar: 1867-1949

 

A Short Tribute to Katharine Carnegie                      

      Viscountess Tredegar : 1867-1949                                     

                                By William Cross, FSA Scot 

In 1913, on the death of Godfrey, the 2^nd Lord Tredegar,  his nephew,   Courtenay Morgan, succeeded to the title.  Godfrey  never married  and an assorted mix of his  sisters and their daughters acted as hostesses at Tredegar House. 

On  Courtenay's succession,  his  marriage of  thirteen years  to  Lady Katharine Carnegie was in difficulty.  Katharine hated Wales and Courtenay.  All attempts made  of them  trying to live together had failed.

Newport had not seen a Lady Tredegar since the death of the first baroness,  Lady Rosamond Mundy,  almost thirty years before,  in 1883.

Courtenay was obliged  to play for time to explain  the absence of Katharine from his side.

However he persuaded the local newspaper, the "South Wales Argus" , to publish a sketch of Katharine, as below, dated 1907.

                                     Katharine in 1907

The Daily Mail  of 22 November, 1913 recorded:

“Lord Tredegar announced at Newport yesterday that Lady Tredegar’s doctor would not allow her to take part in any public functions at present”.

Katharine  absence from Courtenay’s side,   Tredegar House and Wales  remained   perpetual. 

It was all different in 1890 when  Major Courtenay Morgan married Lady Katharine Agnes Blanche Carnegie in the library of Kinnaird Castle in Scotland. 

                                     Kinnaird Castle

                               The seat of the Carnegies

Everyone expected a happy marriage, but it was never happy,  Katharine and Courtenay were not suited and dysfunctional.

But they had two children, a son, Evan born 1893 and a daughter, Gwyneth, born 1895.

As 1913  finally  closed the whole of Courtenay’s family, Katharine, son Evan and daughter Gwyneth were in London for Christmas and New Year.   A fire at Tredegar House had caused damage to several bedrooms in the servant’s quarters forced Courtenay’s return to Wales.[1]

                            Tredegar House, Newport

In January 1915, Katharine roped  Gwyneth ( in her second year as a debutante )  into acting as a companion at a matinee held at the Alhambra Theatre  in aid of Grand Duke Michael’s  Fund for sending comforts to the British soldiers in France.[2]

    

                                                       Gwyneth Morgan                                 

An adjoining report records “   Although at present in London, and very much an invalid, Lady Tredegar takes a keen interest in the various movements in Wales which have been set on foot either for supplying the needs of Welsh regiments or assisting local distress.” [3]

A poor sleeper, susceptible to noise and uncomfortable in London’s  war time  chaos, Katharine was house  hunting – she bought a refuge,   Honeywood House,  that later  this became her main home, at Rowhook, near  Dorking.

During the war period, and despite her  health being wobbly she tried hard to keep a presence in London  during the summer months. 

                                          Honeywood House, Rowhook

In the early months of being Lord and Lady Tredegar  they took a lease on St Dunstan’s Lodge, Regents Park.[4] It proved impossible for Katharine  to continue living at the spacious  Lodge,  with its ample grounds, because “ roarings from the Zoo [ London Zoo] woke Lady Tredegar....” every morning. [5]  Perhaps it was more to do with  Courtenay’s pawings than the creatures over the wall.[6]

At the outbreak of the Great War, Courtenay offered his steam yacht Liberty to the War Office, this was accepted, the ship was revamped as a hospital ship ( at Courtenay’s own expense) and he went off to sail in her – seeing early action in the North Sea.

SS Liberty

Katharine was unwell but keen to contribute something useful too. She wrote a letter  expressing her great regret that her health would not allow her to take an active part in the good work which the various branches of the Red Cross Society were  doing in Monmouthshire, and informing the Society that she would send a cheque for £100 to the Bassaleg St Basil’s Working Guild Red Cross Committee aid of the County’s Central Red Cross Society.[7]

While  Britain was still at war  Katharine  continued to support the war effort in several ways. She gave up her home at Bryanston Square as a war hospital for the  Royal Flying Corps, writing cheques to fund its upkeep.

In the summer of 1917 her  efforts were recognised by the Prime Minister David Lloyd George and his wife  who invited Katharine to 10 Downing Street for a visit there by Princess Mary ( only daughter of  the King and  Queen). Katharine took Evan with her “ as fetcher and carrier for the Princess”. [8] The event was a concert of  Welsh music, much enjoyed by all and proved  a successful fund raiser.

                                        Evan Morgan

One report says “ [ The Princess ] was sitting in her favourite pink and white, between Mrs Lloyd George and Lady Tredegar ....”[9]

                            Katharine by Augustus John

Welsh artist, Augustus John informed London and Wales of Katharine’s looks and fashions when he painted her and  subsequently  displayed his  “Lady Tredegar”  in an exhibition at the Alpine Club, along with a portrait of Lady Cynthia Asquith and   an early versions of his series  “Tinkers” ( on Gipsies)  that   John ranked amongst his  own best work of the period.[10]  Katharine was also painted by Ambrose McEvoy  and exhibited at in the year that followed.[11]  

                             Katharine by Ambrose McEvoy

An anonymous ‘ Portrait of a Young Man ‘ in the  same exhibition was of Evan Morgan.[12]

                            Evan Morgan By Augustus John

Katharine also facilitated a  war time charity appeals  for the Royal Flying Corps  - one of these in March 1918  was a  matinee concert   at the Coliseum[13] and a month later by staging a vocal  recital by Boris Lensky  at her home at 45 Grosvenor Square on Saturday  13 April, 1918. [14]

Katharine’s patronage of the arts and young up and coming artists was another passion of hers through the early 1920s including  Wyndham Lewis is  reflected in her appearances at galleries and exhibitions.[15]    Two years before she was among those who supported an exhibition of American  contemporary art at the Grafton Gallaries. It was during this time that Katharine gained a lady’s companion,  Miss Mackenzie.[16]

There was always a need for a new hat. Katharine was among a number of Society women to  have   Nellie Romilly, a family connection by marriage,  supplied  the said head ware.

In 1926, the year that Courtenay became a Viscount and Katharine Viscountess Tredegar she remained active in artistic circles with a a pledge of support by Viscountess Tredegar  for the ‘Chelsea Opera Week’ in November.[17]

But Katharine was at times adrift from reality. It had not helped her well bring that her daughter Gwyneth had died in mysterious circumstances  between December 1924 and May 1925, and a body ( identified as Gwyneth) had been dragged out of the River Thames. 

TO BE CONTINUED

EXTRACT FROM THE DRAFT OF A BOOK " THE FIVE LADY TREDEGARS"  BY WILLIAM CROSS, FSA SCOT

FOR MORE INFORMATION  E-MAIL WILL CROSS

williecross@aol.com

---

[1] Daily Mail, 26 December 1913

[2] Western Mail, 22 January 1915.

[3] Ibid.

[4] The Exeter and Plymouth Gazette for 24 July, 1923 records “ Lord and Lady Tredegar have taken St Dunstan’s Lodge, Regent’s Park for a short term.”

[5] Manchester Evening News, 29 March,  1915. According to this report  the house was sold by Lord Tredegar to Lord Londesborough, who entertained the Kaiser and Kaiserin. In 1915 the house was owned by Mr Otto Kahn.

[6] The Morgan townhouse in London of 39 Portman Place was put to the market to meet the death duties from Godfrey’s estate.  In 1914  the Tredegars took a lease on Lady Millar’s house at 45 Grosvenor Square.

[7] Western Mail, 18 August 1914.

[8]  Daily Mirror, 27 June, 1917.

[9]  Ibid..

[10] Daily Mirror, 26 November, 1917.

[11] Daily Mirror 11 May 1918.

[12] Daily Mirror 14 February 1918

[13]  Daily Mirror 18 March, 1918.

[14] Reviewed in The Telegraph for 15 April,   1918.

[15]    The Times of 23 April, 1921 records Katharine attending Wyndham’s Lewis’ ‘ Tyros and Portraits’ at the Leicester Galleries. Other named as attending include Lady Cunard , Mr Asquith and Sir Carl and Lady Meyer.

[16]  Daily Telegraph, 14 March 1921.

[17] Daily Telegraph  11 November , 1926.

Remembering Robin Bryans / Robert Harbinson : 1928-2005

 Remembering Robin Bryans / Robert Harbinson : 1928-2005

Robin Bryans : Ulsterman and Author

A kindly thought today, twenty years since the passing of this controversial author, on the 11 June 2005.

He was an Ulsterman, a poet, travel writer and a thorn in the Establishment’s side.

The extraordinary legacy of this complex and often sadly twisted man, the creator of four scandal ringing volumes of autobiography, often referred to as the 'Conspiracy Theorists Bible', although rambling, is quite a marvel.

Despite the repeated tirades of “ I Accuse” his writings offer a mostly coherent account of his often bohemian life and times and ranks as a compelling black monument to the upper crust, and the seedier side of many well known politicians, publishers, judges, and lawyers of the mid late 20th century.

Fantasist, maybe, but I more than just fancy there are grains of wheat to be found within the chaff, my many years of researches into Bryans various claims proved a perpetual minefield.

Bryans published as Robin Bryans four  remarkable memoirs under the Honeyford Press imprint: The dust has never settled (1992); Let the petals fall (1993), resembling a sequel to a book called  The protégé  from the 1960s, with many digressions. There was also Checkmate: the memories of a political prisoner (1994); and Blackmail and whitewash (1996).

I am indebted to Bryans without whom I could not have written my biographies of Evan Morgan, Viscount Tredegar, in particular " Not Behind Lace Curtains" : The Hidden World of Evan, Viscount Tredegar " ( 2013).

A well written, considerate, and longer narrative on Bryans can be found in the Dictionary of Irish Biography

https://www.dib.ie/biography/bryans-robert-harbinson-robin-harbinson-robert-harbinson-a9413

 

 

HON. GWYNETH ERICKA MORGAN : A 100 YEAR OLD MYSTERY

 

POOR GWYNETH

A CENTURY OF COVER UP  

Today, in 1925

A Body!

100 years ago today, on 25th May 1925, around 6am, about half a mile from London’s Tower Bridge, a routine police boat was patrolling the River Thames. In the very same spot, the lifeless body of young boy who had fallen from off a barge was recovered a few hours before.

Towards Pocock Wharf at Wapping, the tidal displacement brought another body to the surface. The object was moving with the action of the waves. After some delicate manoeuvring, it was brought on board. At first, the officers believed it was the corpse of a man for the hair had been rotted away by its long submersion in the water. The clothing, a mackintosh coat was saturated with mud and disintegrated when touched. Some underwear was discernible as was a shoe attached to one foot. It was the body of a woman. Another report mentions that it had been lying in only five feet of water. It was in an advanced state of decomposition. The facial features were unrecognisable.

During the day, this part of the Thames was one of the nosiest and busiest channels on the River. Here several large steamers were anchored, along with numerous barges. At night time and in the early dawn it was quieter stretch with only the gentle tapping of the waves to be heard as the occasional tug passed along.

Sergeant William Mathers took charge of the body and the boat made for the riverfront.

The rotting remains were taken to Old Church Stairs and then onto the mortuary at Rotherhithe. Here they were later examined by a police surgeon, Dr Fox at 7.45am. Into the afternoon and the evening of the same day, the attachments to the body were studied closely. These particulars were to form part of the crucial evidence leading to putting a name to the corpse.

The garments were fragile the fragments of clothing, were considerably decayed. The first clue as to identity was that one of the under-garments. This had a laundry tag bearing the name of G.E.Morgan; the second clue was a brown shoe, and the third clue was some jewellery around the victim’s neck, two chains, one silver, one gold, the first of these a turquoise pendant, in the form of a bird, which had been broken in several places and mended, the gold chain had a small cross.

For five months, the name of Hon Gwyneth Morgan had been in newspaper headlines across Britain and overseas. There had been a widespread search for her, and when it was apparent that the disappearance was not one of Gwyneth’s pranks, including earlier disappearances when she had informed no one of her plans, her father, Lord Tredegar offered a reward for any information.

Was the mystery of Gwyneth Morgan who had disappeared on 11 December 1924 from a house in Wimbledon, now solved?

The newspapers reported it was. But what is the truth?

Welsh writers, Monty Dart and Will Cross spent 7 years reconstructing the events that led to the discovery of the body - assumed to be Gwyneth's- in the process they were warned to leave matters alone. The terrifying truth was plain, Gwyneth's death - whenever it took place- was a crime, a crime that even now 100 years on remains covered up.

Poor Gwyneth!

Monty and Will's book " A BEAUTIFUL NUISANCE" : THE LIFE AND DEATH OF THE HONOURABLE GWYNETH ERICKA MORGAN" is still available.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/p/115644037

CONTACT THE AUTHOR WILL CROSS

 

williecross@aol.com