To have a famous sibling is one thing (just ask the other Ciccone). But, it is a most divine thing when one sibling is seen in the eyes of another as their muse (ask Donatella). It is divine because not only can you see the world through another’s eyes, but you can also grab energy from them when you are at your most vulnerable.

His sister, Baba (1912-1973), was one of his earliest and most frequent subjects. Him, being the great photographer, Sir Cecil Beaton (1904 -1980). Baba (Barbara) along with sister Nancy, would sit for Sir Beaton for hours as a willing participant.  The room and the clothes would somehow come together in order for their collaborations to come alive. Majority of their early pictures would be taken around the 1920’s and 30’s. If you look at them, they seem to shape his work of what was to come, what Sir Beaton would be famous for-the portraiture.

I remember sitting on my bed, of my yellow and white room (not my choice) reading my latest find from the library, when my sister Charro would come in and beg me to play with her and my brother. Of course there were serious negotiations, but I would follow her and my brother down to the basement.

My brother and sister would see a towel; I saw a brand new weave.

My brother and sister would see a bar stool; with just the right placement of a large blanket it was a gorgeous duplex.

My brother and sister would see a plastic telephone; I saw a way to communicate to our imaginary world outside our window.

My brother and sister would see an empty glass, but with just the right nudging begging of my sister; it would be filled with orange juice from the upstairs refrigerator, only to be downed by me.

And although, our playtime would always ended up in an argument…

“Play nice!” my mother would yell at us and then go back to her telephone conversation.

Looking back I realized that I must have added a certain je ne sais quoi to our adventures.

Similar to my misadventures, as his subject, Baba helped her brother create his own ideal world. Sir Beaton was captivated glamour. The slim of her nose, a tilt of the head and not a hair would be out of place! Baba would get a chance to be dressed in latest designs of the day, such as Sherard.  She even got the opportunity to pose for Vogue via her brother’s camera! And although, such portrait was taken in her brother’s acquaintance, Sir Henry Channon’s lavish dining room, most of their photographs had just a prop of decadent bouquet of flowers, vast mirrors, or gilded wall hangings. All still in the lavish style that was known Sir Beaton was known for.

What can we learn from Baba Beaton?

Sometimes, our siblings are used in the beginning of our creative because of one thing-THEIR FREE!! However, I think it is much more than that.  I think that siblings have a way of being our most forgiving and most encouraging audience. As the oldest there were times when I wished I had an older brother or sister to lean on and bounce ideas off of. But, as time went on, I came to realize that all I had to do is ask God for guidance. I asked Him to be my eyes where I could not see and the ears in a situation where I could not possibly hear.

Possums, it always worked.

It also freed up the time for me, my sister and brother to play.

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