Princess Margaret 1962 - sister to Queen Elizabeth II - Photographed by Snowdon

$60,256.40List Price

About the Item

Princess Margaret - 1962 Photographed Signed by Snowdon (Anthony Armstrong-Jones) 1930 - 2017 Signed and numbered on print- Snowdon This is a very rare opportunity to acquire a signed limited original Snowdon photographic print (printed 2006) of this celebrated photograph of his then wife, HRH Princess Margaret – sister to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. This was taken at their Kensington Palace apartment in London in 1962. Equal parts coquettish and cheeky, HRH Princess Margaret is seen posing for her husband, wearing her Poltimore Tiara * – the tiara worn at her wedding two years earlier in 1960, to the renowned British society photographer and film maker, Anthony Armstrong Jones (Earl of Snowdon). Snowdon, himself, is just visible at the edge of frame, ankle over knee, with camera in hand. This bathtub scene may be remembered when it was recreated by Helena Bonham Carter, playing HRH Princess Margaret, in the popular Netflix series, “The Crown” (third season/episode 2). From a single, sold-out edition of only 50 prints – this exceptional image captures a moment behind the scenes of the British Royal Family and remained under wraps for 44 years, with Lord Snowdon waiting another four years after Princess Margaret’s death to then exhibit. It was shown to the public for the first time in St James’ London at his first commercial exhibition in September 2006. This particular image was so closely guarded, it was initially unintended to be exhibited due to its risqué nature and exposure of the private lives of the British monarchy. It was therefore not included in the original exhibition catalogue. However, Lord Snowdon had a last-minute change of heart. As a result, it was then published on the front page of The Sunday Times UK on September 17, 2006 – two days before the exhibition opened. The 50 limited prints sold out immediately within 4 days. Eleven years later, the portrait was removed from public view. After Lord Snowdon’s passing in 2017, it is thought his family put it back into the vault, withdrawing it from public view from that date – making this an exceptionally rare opportunity to acquire such an iconic piece of British Royal family history. Princess Margaret - 1962 Snowdon Signed and numbered on print: Snowdon Signed on mount: Snowdon Hand Printed on Silver Gelatin Paper From an edition of 50 Framed with Museum Art glass Print size: Height : 17 1/4 inches x Width: 26 inches Height: 43.8 cms x Width 66 cms Frame size: Height: 34 inches x Width: 40.94 inches Height: 86.5 cms x Width: 107 cms Exhibited: SNOWDON – London September 2006 Provenance and further images on request History of Snowdon and HRH Princess Margaret Snowdon, was born Antony Armstrong-Jones, on 7 March 1930. He was the son of barrister Ronald Armstrong-Jones QC and Anne Messel, who went onto become the Countess of Rosse. He was educated in England at Sandroyd School, Salisbury, and then Eton College, before heading to Jesus College, Cambridge, to study Natural History. He switched to Architecture after only 10 days, but he eventually embarked on a career as a photographer after failing his second-year exams. Having a flair for informal photography, he began his career as a dapper society photographer for Tatler Magazine in 1952 and met HRH Princess Margaret when he took her official portrait in 1958. He later became known for his Royal studies, amongst which were the official portraits of Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh for their 1957 tour of Canada. His body of photographic work is best known for his portraits of world notables including the cream of British society. Many of them were published in Vogue and Vanity Fair, including Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Diana Princess of Wales, Jack Nicholson, Elizabeth Taylor, David Bowie, Laurence Olivier and Marlene Dietrich. He was a talented photographer whose pictures of royalty and world celebrities are in many museums and national galleries today. More than 100 of his photographs are to still to be found in the permanent collections of the National Portrait Gallery, London. He generally, however, remained dismissive about his work. HRH Princess Margaret was an unconventional member of the British Royal family. Her love of parties, fashionable London nightspots aswell as her reputation of vivacity and wit, set her apart amongst the British high society and amongst aristocrats. As a beautiful young woman, with an 18-inch waist and "vivid blue eyes", she was known for her glamour and fashion sense. Margaret was often featured in the press at balls, parties, and nightclubs with her friends - who became known as the "Margaret Set" – all commonly seen at favoured haunts such as the 400 club, Café de Paris and Mirabelle restaurant. Her sense of Royal duty was, however, noted with the number of her official engagements increasing in the 1950’s and 60’s. They included royal tours of Italy, Switzerland, France, and her well known 1965 tour to the USA meeting with President Johnson. She also joined a growing number of charitable organisations as President or patron. At the time of meeting Anthony Armstrong Jones, however, HRH Princess Margaret was heartbroken, having been in love for years with a World War II flying ace, Group Capt. Peter Townsend, 16 years her elder and the divorced father of two. The royal family, the government and the Church of England had forbidden a marriage. And not long after she learned the captain would marry another woman, HRH Princess Margaret accepted Anthony Armstrong-Jones’s proposal. On 6 May 1960, as a 30-year-old commoner he was marrying the 29-year-old HRH Princess Margaret (younger daughter of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother). Watched by a global television audience of 300 million, they were married by the Archbishop of Canterbury, before 2,000 guests, in a regal Westminster Abbey ceremony, and rode in a glass coach to Buckingham Palace cheered by a vast and ecstatic London crowd. He was created Earl of Snowdon on 6 October 1961. Into the 60’s they were at the heart of an extraordinary period of glamour for the British Royal Family with The Beatles and Peter Sellers being amongst their friends. Lord Snowdon was a talented film maker and photographer whose marriage to HRH Princess Margaret fed the gossip columns for more than a decade. His career was punctuated by lurid tales of extra-marital affairs, alcohol and drugs, and despite, their separation after 18 years of marriage and a divorce in 1978, he maintained a close contact with the British Royal Family. During his royal marriage, he was patron of the National Youth Theatre, the Contemporary Art Society for Wales, the Welsh Theatre Company, and the Civic Trust for Wales. He was also President of the British Theatre Museum. In the 1960s he served in the capacity of a council member of the Polio Research Fund (later renamed the National Fund for Research into Crippling Diseases). He then served as a trustee of the National Fund for Research into Crippling Diseases (since renamed Action Medical Research). In June 1980, Lord Snowdon started an award scheme for disabled students. This scheme, administered by the Snowdon Trust, provides grants and scholarships for students with disabilities. He was president for England of the International Year of Disabled Persons in 1981. He also had a passion for 20th century design and was most proud of his co-creation in 1963 of the stunning “Snowdon Aviary’ that he helped design for London Zoo. Alongside this, he had a major role in designing the physical arrangements for the 1969 investiture of his nephew, HRH Prince Charles, as Prince of Wales. In 2006, Tomas Maier, creative director of the Italian fashion brand Bottega Veneta, brought Snowdon in to photograph his Autumn/Winter 2006 campaign. His second marriage was to BBC researcher Lucy Mary Lindsay-Hogg between 1978 to 2000. He died peacefully at his home in Kensington, London on 13 January 2017, aged 86, and was buried in the family churchyard plot in the remote village of Llanfaglan near Caemarfon. Bio credits to: The New York Times Wikipedia Town Country *The Poltimore Tiara The Poltimore Tiara, originally belonged to Lady Poltimore, wife of the second Baron Poltimore. Made in 1870 by the House of Garrard in London, it is the epitome of Victorian-era jewellery. The diamond scrolls evoke flora and nature. Lady Poltimore wore the fantastical creation, with framework comprised of both silver and gold metals, to the coronation of King George V in 1911. The family put it up for auction in January 1959. There, it was purchased for GBP 5,500 by Princess Margaret. Despite having access to the crown jewels, the then 29-year-old Margaret wanted something she could call her own. A year and a half later, on 6 May, 1960, Princess Margaret wore the tiara on the most important of occasions: her wedding to Antony Armstrong-Jones. The Poltimore Tiara then became the most-associated tiara with Princess Margaret. In 1977, for example, she wore it again for the Shah of Iran’s state visit to the United Kingdom. And, although no tiara can exactly be deemed functional, the Poltimore Tiara’s design allowed it to have multiple uses. It could transform into a necklace (which is how Margaret wore it, in 1960) or, if one wished, 11 different brooches. When worn, the tiara almost appears to float. This is because the framework is laced with a brown ribbon, which matched Margaret’s hair colour. It is surmised that such a piece took around six months to make and has now been sold to an anonymous private buyer. Credit: Vogue. We invite you to follow us and look at our Storefront for further 20th Century Design pieces. General note: Shipping quotes, as supplied by 1stdibs, are only indicative. Please contact us directly with your shipping requirements and we will source the most competitive shipment method (and rate) for every individual piece.

Creator:
Lord Snowdon (Photographer)
Dimensions:
Height: 34.06 in (86.5 cm)Width: 42.13 in (107 cm)Depth: 1.07 in (2.7 cm)
Materials and Techniques:
Paper
Place of Origin:
England
Period:
1960-1969
Date of Manufacture:
1962
Condition:
Wear consistent with age and use. Print size: Height : 17 1/4 inches x Width: 26 inches / Height: 43.8 cms x Width 66 cms.
Seller Location:
London, GB
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU2868329028822

Vintage 1960s Photography

Materials

Paper

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