s Fall / Winter 06 07 - Steidl

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Unknown Weegee
Our image of Weegee is that of the prototypical New York tabloid news photographer: tough, garrulous, and on the
scene, ready to cover two murders in one night. But the inventive Jewish immigrant Arthur Fellig, who assumed the selfmocking
nickname Weegee, was also one of the most original and creative photographers of the twentieth century. His
images of the masses at Coney Island, the confrontation of wealth and poverty at the opening night at the opera, and
the aftermath of brutal crime scenes are, by now, classics. But beyond the iconic images that have been so widely
circulated, what do we know of Weegee the photographer – his history, his methods, his meaning? Drawing on The
International Center of Photography’s unique archive of nearly 20,000 prints by this celebrated master, Unknown
Weegee will present 120 photographs that have never been made available to the public. They show Weegee to be a
politically astute and witty social critic, and attest to the seriousness and self-consciousness of his photographic
endeavors.
Weegee (Arthur Fellig, 1899–1968) is best known for his tabloid news photographs of urban crowds, crime scenes,
and New York City nightlife of the 1930s and 1940s. He later dedicated himself to what he called “creative
photography” – images made through distorting lenses and other optical effects.
Exhibition: International Center of Photography, New York, June 9 to August 27, 2006.
Unknown Weegee
With essays by Luc Sante and ICP curator Cynthia Young
Book design by Steidl design
160 pages with 120 tritone plates
9 x 11 in. / 22.8 x 27.9 cm
Hardcover
US $ 28.00 / £ 17.50 / R 25.00
ISBN 3-86521-312-X
ISBN-13 978-3-86521-312-9
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