Beatrice Belton, photographer

Miss Beatrice Hilda Belton, born in 1890, was a photographer  active from the second decade of the twentieth century until the 1940s.  She was on the electoral roll in 1918 at 6 Wellington Place  probably after  the passing of the  Representation of the People Act  which allowed women over the age of 30 who met a property qualification to vote.  In the 1920 City Directory she was also listed at 6 Wellington Place . (This  house no longer  exists, being replaced by the Wellington Hospital.) in 1933 she was also listed at 66a St Johns Wood High Street. In the 1910′ she photographed actress Julia Neilson, best known for her numerous performances as Lady Blakeney in The Scarlet Pimpernel, for her roles in many tragedies and historical romances, and for her portrayal of Rosalind in a long-running production of As You Like It and her marriage to actor Fred Terry, and this is now in the National Portrait Gallery

Bee Belton was engaged by my mother-in-law, opera singer  Dora Labette,  to take photographs of my husband Paul when  he was a child and produced some delightful studies which were mounted in large folders. We have them still.

Amy Fowler had her photograph taken by Bee Belton during the First World War, when she was engaged to Edward Fowler, son of the Mayor of the Metropolitan Borough of St Marylebone 1907-08.He was killed at the Battle of the Somme (see post on St Stephen’s War Memorial) but she later married Edward’s brother, Cyril William Fowler.  This photo was kindly sent by their great granddaughter Nicola Smith.

Ysobel and Jill Jackson  photographed by Bea Belton in the mid 1920.  Ysobel’s husband was a doctor and they lived in St John’s Wood – he was a royal physician and attended the King at Sandringham.  The photos were kindly sent by Jane Speller, Jill’s daughter.