Arthur 'Weegee' Fellig

About the Author

Arthur 'Weegee' Fellig, born Ascher Fellig in 1899 in what is now Ukraine, immigrated to New York City as a child and became one of the 20th century's most iconic photographers, renowned for his raw, unflinching depictions of urban life. Self-taught and operating under the pseudonym 'Weegee'—a nod to his uncanny ability to arrive at crime scenes before the police—he roamed the streets at night with his Speed Graphic camera, capturing the gritty underbelly of the city in stark black-and-white images. His work, often developed in the back of his car, brought the drama of murders, fires, and tenement life to the front pages of tabloids, influencing generations of photojournalists and filmmakers. Weegee's bold style extended beyond news photography to portraits, nudes, and street scenes, culminating in acclaimed books like Weegee: Masters of Photography Series, which solidified his legacy as a master of the decisive moment.