Weegee (Arthur Fellig)

Weegee (1899–1968), born Usher Fellig, was an American photojournalist whose gritty, flash‑lit images of New York’s streets and crime scenes defined urban documentary photography. After emigrating from Lemberg (now Lviv, Ukraine) to New York in 1912, he taught himself the craft and held various darkroom and studio positions before turning freelance in 1935. Stationing himself at Manhattan’s police headquarters—and later installing a police radio in his car—he arrived first on the scene of murders, fires, and accidents, selling his raw, unflinching photographs to the Herald‑Tribune, Daily News, PM, and other tabloids.

In the 1940s Weegee’s work crossed from tabloids into galleries: the Photo League mounted his first solo show in 1941, and MoMA began exhibiting and collecting his prints in 1943. His 1945 book Naked City and subsequent volumes (Weegee’s People, Naked Hollywood) showcased his stark, high‑contrast style and his gift for revealing the humanity—however dark or sensational—behind each headline. After a stint making experimental 16 mm films and “Distortions” portraits in Hollywood, he returned to New York in 1952 to lecture and write on photography, solidifying his reputation as a bridge between popular press and fine art. Weegee’s images remain immortal touchstones of street photography and the power of the decisive moment.