September 1, 2005 - March 25, 2006
Third Floor Bridge
The Indiana State Museum pays tribute to Hoosier actor James Dean on the 50th anniversary of his death with an exhibition of photos of him taken by Dennis Stock. The exhibition, James Dean Comes Home – Photographs by Dennis Stock, gives visitors a personal glimpse into the life of one of Indiana’s most iconic sons.
Dean was born in Marion, Indiana, to Winton and Mildred Dean, and was raised by an aunt and uncle on their farm in Fairmount, Indiana. His spectacular, but brief career featured only three films, all filmed within one year – Rebel Without a Cause, East of Eden and Giant, which was released posthumously. He was killed on Sept. 30, 1955, in a highway accident in California while driving his Porche Spyder to a race held at the Salinas Airport.
Dean met Stock in Los Angeles in 1955 when Dean’s career was at its zenith. The pair became friends and Stock suggested he take some photos of Dean for Life Magazine. Dean asked Stock to accompany him back to the farm in Indiana where he was due back to celebrate his birthday. Stock took many photos of Dean, including the indelible photograph of Dean hunched into his trench coat in Times Square, but those he captured on the trip to Indiana showed a more intimate, more uncertain Dean.
Those famous photos, along with several others are included in the Indiana State Museum’s exhibition, shown on the third floor bridge.