| | | Angus McBean - The Christmas Cards
Angus McBean is well-known for his photographic record of theatrical productions at the Old Vic, the National Theatre and various productions in London's West End. He also photographed the ballet at Sadler's Wells and Glyndebourne. Less well-known is the series of photographic self-portrait Christmas cards he produced from 1933 to 1985. Terence Pepper commented that these 'made him unique amongst his peers and hold a special place in the history of photographic self-portraiture.' In 1967 McBean stopped producing his Christmas cards and was not to issue another one until 1981. In letters that he wrote during this time he cited ill health including several hip operations and the lack of 'a rich vein of creativity' as reasons for not producing them.
In 1981 he started sending cards again, writing in a letter on the back of the card My Dearest Vivienne, my first card for 12 years! Done in front of the BBC cameras for the Arena programme about me and my "Art". He went on to complain that being filmed just two weeks before Christmas gave him no time to mount them properly. Throughout the period when he was producing cards for himself, he also created them for his mother Cherry, his partner David Ball and for the occasional friend.
In 1974 McBean sold his collection of negatives to the Harvard Theatre Collection, having found no institutional takers for it in England. In 1977 the National Portrait Gallery made its first purchase from his vintage prints, which thankfully he had retained.
Pierre Spake
December 2010
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