James Dean Rare Original Racing Photo & Negative Porsche Speedster Gus Vignolle

When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.

James Dean Rare Original Racing Photo & Negative Porsche Speedster Gus Vignolle:
$6500.00

Own the priceless photo and the exclusive copyright printing rights to a rare James Dean racing photo!
From the personal collection of Gus V. Vignolle, well known journalist, photographer and publisher of "MotoRacing", one of the first and most influential car racing newspapers of the 1950’s. This is one in a limited series of photos and negatives that have been missing for over 50 years until rre-discovered by Vignolle’s daughter, Zaz Clark.
These intimate photos are of James Dean in and around his Speedster 23F Porsche (License Plate #2U73378) that he bought at Competition Motors in Hollywood. They were taken during his infamous car race in Palm Springs, California in March of 1955 which was his first official race, and which he won not long before his accident in September of that year in his new Porsche Spyder 550 while on his way to a race in Salinas, California.
These photographs only appeared once in the January 13th 1956 (Vol 1, No. 7) exclusive, fully-illustrated memorial issue of MotoRacing.
This is the one and only original Black and White photo and negative photographed and developed by Vignolle on Kodak Safety Film, taken at the race.
It shows an extremely pensive Dean, taking a moment alone in his Speedster 23F right before the race (his first), as he works out in his mind just how to handle the track. His good friend and mechanic Bill Tunstall is seen behind him in the background purposely giving Dean "his space".
Candid racing photos of Dean are extremely rare, especially since he was only involved in a handful of races before his tragic accident.
The negative comes with a full copyright release for unlimited reproduction printing and selling.
Negative approx. 2 3/8" x 2 3/8" & photo approx. 5" x 4".