In Focus: Weegee: Photographs from the J. Paul Getty Museum

by Judith Keller

Stalking the streets of New York City at night alongside police detectives and barflies, the tough-talking, fedora-wearing, cigar-smoking photographer who called himself Weegee was ready at a moment's notice with his Speed Graphic to respond to the police radio. From the mid-1930s to 1950s he captured hundreds of pictures of accidents, murders, arrests, fires, and natural disasters, producing works that are both empathetic and sensational. This volume in the In Focus series presents approximately fifty of the ninety-five Weegee prints in the Getty's collection, surveying the photographer's probing vision of life in New York - from Harlem to Times Square, Greenwich Village, and the Bowery. Each of the photographs is accompanied by an introduction, a chronology, and commentary. The book also includes an edited transcript of a colloquium on Weegee's life and work that incorporates the author's comments along with those of seven other participants: David Featherstone, Michael Hargraves, Weston Naef, Miles Orvell, Ira Richer, Colin Westerbeck, and Cynthia Young. photographer's work at the Getty Museum in Los Angeles from September 20, 2005, through January 22, 2006.

Genres: Art, Photography

144 pages, Paperback

First published September 5, 2005

Reviews

[Gina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this book for what it is: a visual introduction to a fascinating body of photographic work. I am currently very excited about Weegee, so it is just what I was hoping for. The writing is tight and the content is really interesting, but it isn't intended to be a piece of literary genius, and it isn't. Still, it is good at what it does. The photos grab you, and the text helps you to put them in context and gain a sense of the eye and intellect that procuded them... and to understand that sensational journalism wouldn't be so bad on its own if the writers and photographers and editors and publishers all had a heart and soul that came through in every story and every image. Yay Weegee!

[William · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pictures and descriptions were lovely! Unfortunate section in the back where stuffy academics blow their loads of pretentiousness all over the lovely pictures. A picture is worth a thousand words, but I guess I don't want to read yours on account of I have the picture here, dummy. Is it simplistic to assume when Weegee took a picture of a guy, he was actually.. taking a picture of a guy? And not commenting on his own immigrant heritage or loneliness? Who knows, really? I don't, let me get a group of four other people who don't and we'll transcribe our aimless discussion. Oh wait, done.

They look like nice people from the back flap though.