Original vintage glossy 10 x 8 photo of James Dean by photographer Roy Schatt, which depicts the actor seated at a darkroom desk in Schatt’s studio at 149 East 33rd Street in New York City in 1954, signed in black ink by Schatt on the reverse, which is annotated “Photoplay,” and bears two of his credit stamps. In fine condition, with a crease to the lower left corner, and emulsion irregularity in the top border.
Born in New York City, Schatt (1909-2002) is remembered for his 'method photography' of personalities associated with The Actors Studio during the Lee Strasberg era, using natural light to capture likenesses of icons such as James Dean, Marilyn Monroe, and Steve McQueen in candid, unstaged settings. Schatt and Dean became especially close friends, with Schatt teaching the actor the basics of photography so that he knew what it was like to be behind the camera. Schatt's work has been exhibited at the International Center of Photography in NYC, the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, DC, and the Art Institute of Chicago.
