Weegee’s Story

Weegee is regarded as the prototypical modern photojournalist and one of the most important photographers of the 20th century. His photographs have an immediate, almost violent impact: they are uncompromising, unprettified. His subjects are criminals, the homeless, accident victims and the assassinated, people on the edges of existence—but also include lovers, people on daytrips and people attending jazz clubs, variety shows and cinemas.

His pictures bring to life the New York of the 1930s and 1940s, its people and their stories. As a photographer interested in the sensational, Weegee searches out the hidden sides of big-city life, always exploring them from his own unique perspective.