WELSH PHOTOGRAPHER : ANGUS McBEAN : AN ILLUSTRATED TALK FROM WILLIAM CROSS, FSA Scot

WELSH PHOTOGRAPHER : ANGUS McBEAN

A TALK FROM WILLIAM CROSS, FSA Scot

‘Footprints in the sands of time…..’

Angus Rowland McBean (1904-1990). Society, fashion and theatre photographer.  A feast for the eye to behold of the good, great and scandalous as captured by McBean’s cameras.

Angus McBean was born in Newbridge, South Wales and attended Newport Art and Technical College. His professional  career in the theatre started as a mask-puppet maker and scenery designer with Hugh Cecil as mentor before turning to full-time theatre photography, with his own studios in London. 

McBean is famous for his theatrical images of dozens of the great stars of stage & screen in the 1930s through to the 1970s from actors likes Oliver, Gielguid, Vivian Leigh, Audrey Hepburn and later he designed album covers for the iconic musicians like  The Beatles. 

McBean hit a set back in the second world war years when jailed for four years but bounced back in the later decades to gain a special place in theatre and social history alongside the iconic Cecil Beaton, David Bailey and  Tony Armstrong Jones.  Will Cross’s tribute to McBean features over 60 photos of the famous stars, with anecdotes galore.

Talk from William Cross on  Angus McBean ( 1904-1990). Society, fashion and theatre photographer.  A feast for the eye to behold of the good,great and scandalous as captured by McBean’s cameras.

Grave of Agnes McBean

'Footprints on the sands of time'

William Cross is a writer, lecturer & researcher based in Newport, South Wales. He is the author/ co- author of various  books on members of the Morgan family of Tredegar House, Newport, and several books on the Herberts ( Carnarvons ) of Highclere Castle ( Downton Abbey ).

He is  the  author of  'Not Behind Lace Curtains'  the controversial biography of  Evan Morgan, Viscount Tredegar, and  'The Abergavenny Witch Hunt' the story of the prosecution and trial of over 20 homosexuals in a small Welsh Town in 1942,  events centred around the same crimes that led at the sane time  to Angus McBean being sent to prison for four years.   

Cross is currently working on further  books on the Morgans , including one about the notorious weekend  house parties of Evan Morgan in the  1930s. Will’s last books are “Myths About The Morgans: Busting the History Fraudsters”. 

Find William Cross   ( as Will Cross,  Author)   on Twitter

https://twitter.com/WilliamPCross

William Cross   also maintains a tribute page to Angus McBean on Twitter

https://twitter.com/angus_mcbean

Contact Will Cross by e-mail

williecross@aol.com