Arthur Fellig, more commonly known by his nickname Weegee is a street photographer most known by his work at crime scenes. Originally Usher Fellig, born in the Ukraine on June 12, 1899, he decided to acculturate and change his name to sound more American. Weegee started his photography at the young age of 14, only a few years after his family moved to America. With no official training, Weegee managed to accumulate a portfolio as a freelance photographer working for reporters and newspapers. With a good reputation, he was granted access to a police radio in 1938. This lead to photos that would make Weegee an iconic name in photography.
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| Murder is my Business |
With his radio, Weegee was able to be the first on scene capturing the gruesome and gory details of the scene. With his uncensored content, he became a photographical sensation moving past newspapers and reports and entering a more mainstream media. Not only was he featured in an exhibition, but he was also a published author. His first book, Naked City, published in 1945 was the first, continued by Weegee's people (1946) and Naked Hollywood (1953). After moving to Hollywood in 1947, he returned to New York working as an author and instructor. He died December of 1968 at the age of 69, although his photos will continue to be an inspiration to the intensity of street photography.
Sources:
“Weegee.” International Center of Photography, 11 Apr. 2019, www.icp.org/browse/archive/constituents/weegee?all/all/all/all/0.
“Weegee: Murder Is My Business.” International Center of Photography, 6 Dec. 2016, www.icp.org/exhibitions/weegee-murder-is-my-business.
“Weegee.” International Center of Photography, 11 Apr. 2019, www.icp.org/browse/archive/constituents/weegee?all/all/all/all/0.
“Weegee: Murder Is My Business.” International Center of Photography, 6 Dec. 2016, www.icp.org/exhibitions/weegee-murder-is-my-business.
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