Sure, James Dean was as handsome as they come, but that's not what made him one of the great photogenic personalities in the history of the medium. It was his mystique -- that intangible something that some people in the biz call the "it" factor -- and his unique combination of swagger and vulnerability that made him such an incredible photographic subject.

Today, James Dean's birthday, we take a look at some of Dennis Stock's iconic portraiture of Dean, taken in a variety of locations, from Dean's hometown in Indiana to the streets of New York, where his career began to blossom.

You can also find this body of work in Stock's book, <a href="http://store.magnumphotos.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=2062"target='_blank'>"James Dean: Fifty Years Ago,"</a> and our new <a href="http://store.magnumphotos.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=2395"target='_blank'>contact sheet prints.</a>