A previously unseen photograph of one of the most attractive couples of British theatre, Vivien Leigh and Laurence Olivier, is to go on show at the National Portrait Gallery.
Taken by British photo-journalist Larry Burrows, the photograph will go on display as part of an exhibition: Starring Vivien Leigh: A Centenary Celebration, tracing her life and career.
Larry, aged just 23, had just begun working for Life magazine’s London bureau when he captured the pair on film in May 1949. They had appeared at a charity fair at the Roehampton Club in London, in aid of the Actors’ Orphanage Fund, of which Laurence was president.
This image has been presented by his son Russell Burrows and daughter-in-law Barbara Baker Burrows, especially for the centenary and has been selected as the gallery’s Photo of the Month for November.
It will be showcased alongside two other rare portraits of the couple: one taken on the set of The School for Scandal by Vivienne in 1949 and the other by Paul Tanqueray in 1942.
The exhibition will also feature more than 50 portraits of Vivien alongside a selection of rare memorabilia including magazine covers, vintage film stills and press books.
Many of the photographs in the display have not been exhibited in the gallery before and include leading photographers such as Bassano, Cecil Beaton, Clarence Sinclair Bull and Madame Yevonde.
- Starring Vivien Leigh: A Centenary Celebration is at the National Portrait Gallery, London, from November 30 until July 20. Details: npg.org.uk, 0207 306 0055
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