Dennis Stock

In 1951, when he was an assistant to pioneering strobe photographer Gjon Mili, Dennis Stock won LIFE magazine’s competition for young photographers. Stock was 23. Thanks to talent, persistence and an eye for irony, he climbed the ladder of the profession. Dennis hung around the cooperative agency Magnum until founder Robert Capa invited him to join, and he was still an active member when he died on Jan. 11 at 81. His most memorable photo story was on actor James Dean, with whom he traveled across the country–at one point, Dean decided to pose in an open coffin at a funeral parlor–just months before Dean died in a car accident. Stock’s greatest work was his 1960 book Jazz Street. When Dennis died, I found a long-forgotten dedication in my copy: “For John: There is so much in the future to be explored by us. So much to be contributed to our tired field.” Amen, Dennis.

Morris is the former executive editor of Magnum Photos. He has also served as picture editor of the New York Times