Today would have been the 94th birthday of 1950’s icon, actor James Dean. Still relevant, still studied, and still written about. At the age of nine, Dean’s mother died and his father decided to let him be raised back on the family farm in Fairmount, Indiana, shown below:
Fairmount is an interesting little community, seemingly untouched by the passage of time. This video does a great job of capturing the town (and Dean) through interviews with the locals who still memorialize the actor.
The town has two museums that are Dean-centric; there’s the James Dean Gallery, run by David Loehr:
A picture of Loehr that I shot back in 1995 at a Rockabilly show in nearby Marion, Indiana. He is surrounded by Christy (whose father went to school with Dean) and fan Diane.
The other museum WAS the Fairmount Historical Museum, which was once located in this historic home:
It has since moved closer to downtown in a brand-spanking new building and been rechristened as the James Dean Museum. What’s the difference between the two? If you want to see vintage souvenirs and get to know Dean from a fan perspective, the Gallery is the place for you. If you want to see Dean’s personal effects and have a better understanding of him as an actor and a human, the Museum is the far better choice.
In downtown, there is a little park with a bronze bust of Dean, sculpted by the late Kenneth Kendall.
It is a copy of the same bust Kendall sculpted that is at the Griffith Observatory in Hollywood.
I met Stephen Payne (at right) when he first came to the U.S. and journeyed to Fairmount; you’ll get to hear his story in the video. On the left is Luke Williams, an Australian who traveled to Fairmount as well, seeking to find out more about Dean.
More than just a “rebel,” James Dean was a gifted human being who tragically died too young before getting to explore his many talents. We are fortunate to have the celluloid reminders that will forever enshrined his youth.
See more James Dean and Fairmount photos at my main website.
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