Cecil Beaton visitor numbers top 20,000

Media Release 2 August 2006

Cecil Beaton visitor numbers top 20,000

The Cecil Beaton: Portraits exhibition at the Christchurch Art Gallery continues to attract large crowds, with visitor numbers having exceeded 20,000 in the first nine weeks.

The number of visitors to the show is phenomenal, says acting Gallery director Hubert Klaassens. “We’ve already surpassed projected visitor numbers and the show still has six weeks to run.

“Beaton is proving to be one of the Gallery’s most popular shows because of its broad public appeal.”

He said as the exhibition was exclusive in New Zealand at the Christchurch Art Gallery, it was attracting a lot of out-of-town visitors to the Gallery.

“Cecil Beaton: Portraits is the first opportunity to see Beaton’s work in New Zealand.”

The exhibition brings together 150 portraits from the five decades of Beaton’s career, including images never seen before. These capture 50 years of fashion, art and the celebrity world of the last century.

“Beaton’s images are unforgettable and highly engaging. They also mark an important time in 20th Century history and have shaped the public’s perception of those who Beaton captured on film,” Mr Klaassens says

Cecil Beaton: Portraits runs at the Christchurch Art Gallery to 10 September.

ENDS

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