Cecil Beaton exhibition Leeds Museum

Leeds council have attached a big screen to the front of the Carriage Works building opposite the Town Hall on which locals will be able to view Olympic events. As a rehearsal it was used last weekend to view the Jubilee flotilla. Unfortunately the weather was so appaling that only a  dozen people were to be found picnicing on the windswept paving. Because all of them were wearing the same BBC branded rain poncho, I'm guessing that it was a family day out for Auntie Beeb of the North.

Having abandoned Millenium Square to the rain, Rachael and I headed indoors to the Leeds Museum. Having never been, we were unpleasantly surprised at how small and shabby it was for England's 4th city.

However, on the top floor we discovered a touring exhibition of Cecil Beaton's photographs of the Queen and the Royal Family. A gift at £2.50. Much amusement for Rachael when the cashier asked if we wanted any concessionary prices. Given that neither Rachael or I would pass for 16, we can only assume that the lady thought that I was over 60...

The exhibition started with photographs of Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother when she herself was a young woman. Often composed formally, many of these early images were in the style of classic painters and portrayed the Queen in a variety of romantic poses.

The captions explained that Beaton used techniques to emphasise the silouhette of his Royal sitters. I noticed too that on a number of portraits he created a halo effect around the head during printing. This gave a slightly religious feel to these images.

Many of the images of the current queen were very formal where she was sometimes posed in unusual garb; an Admirals cape for example. This effectively focussed the image on Her face because a brooch of the Order of the Garter was the only counterpoint. He took a number of photographs before he discovered the most effective was one that involved a tilt of the chin.

Many of the images were taken within rooms in Buckingham palace and these served as rich backdrops. I was struck by the position of the sitters head within the frame. This was often to the side looking inwards (as might be expected), but it was often mid frame vertically to pick out an item of interest above her head (a painting, statue or mirror). For my taste these compositions seemed unbalanced as the subject was competing for attention.

In at least two photographs there were distractions that I would be unhappy with (a crooked power lead hanging incongrously from a light fitting).

The formal pictures that I thought worked best were those taken outside against an oblique background of Corinthian columns. These formed an effective frame for the subject without competing or being overpowering.

Informal photographs provided the most entertaining of the pictures, showing an ordinary family engaged in the usual fun of parents and children. My favourite was an image of the Queen leaning forward as the young Prince Charles was climbing on to her shoulders for a piggy back. Her smile was captured beautifully and was perhaps the most 'natural' of the collection.