Peter Beard

Peter Beard emerges in the diaries not through a continuous biography but through a succession of vivid social encounters: on a Montauk beach, at Studio 54, presenting photographs at a party, and dropping into Warhol’s office years later. Across these episodes he appears both as a photographer and as a familiar figure in overlapping artistic and celebrity circles. The record also catches a more private concern: after a fire destroyed his diaries, Beard said he felt relieved, while Warhol urged him to keep writing.

A recurring figure in Montauk

In June 1977, Warhol encountered Beard during a weekend in Montauk. The day brought together beach life and the social world around it: Warhol discussed a Rolling Stones album cover with Earl McGrath, watched Vincent surf, and invited Dick Cavett to lunch after recognizing him walking a large dog. Beard arrived with Margrit Rammè. She kissed him in front of Barbara Allen, described in the entry as his former girlfriend, but the two women appeared to get along. The diary records the arrangement without explaining it, making the moment notable for its relaxed coexistence rather than for any dispute.

A week later, a call from Montauk established that a larger group was gathered there, including Barbara Allen. Mick Jagger had moved over from Beard’s place and spent time with Barbara in one of the bedrooms. The entry does not say what Beard made of this or define the relationships among those present; instead, it places his home or lodging within the flow of the group’s summer movements. Montauk recurs as both a social setting and a point of connection between Beard and Warhol’s circle.

Photography, parties, and public company

The book’s captions also place Beard behind the camera. A photograph from 1974 identifies him as the photographer of Steve Aronson and his Newfoundland, Magnus, on a beach in Montauk. Another caption credits him with a picture of Bianca Jagger and neighbor Dick Cavett having lunch on a back lawn. These credits complement the diary scenes: Beard is not only someone Warhol encounters at gatherings, but also someone who makes images of people and settings in that shared social world.

At a later party at Heartbreak, Beard stood at the door showing slides. Warhol’s brief inventory of what appeared—Africa, Cheryl on a turkey, Barbara Allen on a turkey, and bloodstains—conveys the unusual, arresting character of the presentation without explaining its sequence or purpose. The slides made Beard’s visual work part of the evening’s entertainment, while the entry’s compressed list preserves the partygoers’ quick, amused response. At a separate gathering, Warhol noted that Beard was among the familiar guests and that he chose to drink. Together, the appearances show how readily Beard moved between presenting images and taking part in the social life that surrounded them.

The fire and the lost diaries

One of the more revealing episodes comes after a fire at Montauk destroyed Beard’s mill-house. At Studio 54, Warhol saw him unusually drunk, with slurred speech. Beard said he was relieved that the fire had destroyed all his diaries and that he would no longer have to keep them. Warhol disagreed with the relief and urged him to continue writing. The exchange reveals that diary-keeping mattered to Beard, even if the loss initially seemed to release him from the obligation. It also places the two men in different positions toward the record: Beard described the destruction as a reason to stop, while Warhol treated it as no reason to abandon the practice.

The account does not explain what the diaries contained or how long Beard had kept them. Its significance lies instead in the contrast between a record lost to fire and Warhol’s insistence that the act of recording should continue. Beard’s own presence in Warhol’s diary becomes another kind of record: brief scenes that preserve a gesture, a social configuration, or an exchange, while leaving much of the person outside the frame.

Later appearances and changing company

Beard remained visible in Warhol’s world as the years passed. In 1983, Warhol noted him at a gathering with a group of familiar guests. By May 1986, Beard was among several people converging at Warhol’s office, alongside Bruno and Senator Dodd; Warhol gave tours amid the activity. The entry supplies no account of Beard’s purpose for visiting, but his appearance among visitors and associates confirms his continuing access to the office’s social current.

That October, Warhol again saw Beard at a party and remarked that he looked well. Beard was accompanied by a new girlfriend from Afghanistan, whom Warhol observed was unlike his previous girlfriends. A few days later, Beard attended the opening of Nell’s with an entourage. These final glimpses register change in his company and continued participation in New York’s crowded public scene, without turning either into a settled explanation of his private life. Across the diary, Beard remains a recurring but selectively observed figure: photographer, host or presenter of images, and familiar presence among people whose paths repeatedly crossed.