Original glossy 8 x 10 silver gelatin photo of James Dean playing a hand drum in Roy Schatt's studio on New Year's Eve in 1954, signed on the reverse in ink by photographer Roy Schatt. Reverse also bears Roy Schatt credit stamps. In fine condition, with light rippling and scattered small creases.
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.
