Original glossy 10 x 8 silver gelatin photograph of James Dean on the roof deck of the old MoMA in New York City, signed on the reverse in ink by the photographer, "Roy Schatt." Dean is shown standing, as Oscar-winning composer Leonard Rosenman smokes a cigarette beside him. Reverse also bears Roy Schatt credit stamps, and is marked: "Photoplay." In fine condition, with subtle edge rippling.
Amongst Rosenman's earliest film work was the scores for Dean films East of Eden (1955) and Rebel Without a Cause (1955). Rosenman had lived together with Dean, to whom he gave piano lessons, and it was Dean who introduced him to director Elia Kazan.
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.
