FROM THE ARCHIVE: Cecil Beaton, like the Gershwin brothers or Cole Porter, sums up an era of carefree elegance, all depicted in black and white, of course. Beaton is the definitive photographer of glamourous portraiture. He’s influenced every celebrity snapper who’s come after him.

Historians in Britain were worriedly watching the clock. They only had weeks left to raise enough money to keep the Macclesfield Psalter, one of the most significant historical discoveries of recent years, in the country.