Naked City

by Weegee

Weegee was among the first to fully realize the camera's unique power to capture split-second drama and exaggerated emotion. But his profound influence on other photographers, most famously on Diane Arbus, derives not only from his sensational subject matter and his use of the blinding, close-up flash, but also from his eagerness to photograph the city at all hours, at all coffee shops at three in the morning, hot summer evenings in the tenements, debutante balls, parties in the street, lovers on park benches, the destitute and the lonely. No other photographer has better revealed the non-stop spectacle of life in New York City.Weegee's first book, Naked City (1945), was a runaway success and made him a celebrity who suddenly had assignments from Life and Vogue. By the publication of his second book, Weegee's People (1946), he had cut the wires to his police radio and had begun to photograph the furred and bejeweled grandes dames at the Metropolitan Opera as well as his beloved street people. Naked Hollywood (1953) and Weegee by Weegee (1961) feature portraits of Marilyn Monroe, Andy Warhol, John F. Kennedy, Nikita Khruschev, and Liberace -- many of them viewed through the distorted lens of his Weegee-scope.Regarded as some of the most powerful images of twentieth-century photography, Weegee's work now resides in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art.

Genres: Photography, Art, Nonfiction, History, New York, Crime, Journalism

244 pages, Paperback

First published November 30, 1944

About the author

Weegee was the pseudonym of Ascher (later anglicized to Usher) Fellig, who emigrated to the United States when he was ten and was renamed Arthur. He was an American photographer and photojournalist, known for his stark black and white street photography.

Reviews

[Christopher E · Rating 1 out of 5]

This particular edition ISBN 13: 9780306812040/ISBN 10: 0306812045
Da Capo Press should be avoided if at all possible.

This particular edition is printed on matte paper stock and thus almost all of the images are illegible. I cannot say what the originals looked like but the images /in this edition look as though they were produced on a photocopy machine. Whatever subtle hues in the original photographers are washed out of this printing in splotches of black and white. Avoid this edition.

[Christopher · Rating 1 out of 5]

This particular edition ISBN 13: 9780306812040/ISBN 10: 0306812045
Da Capo Press should be avoided if at all possible.

This particular edition is printed on matte paper stock and thus almost all of the images are illegible. I cannot say what the originals looked like but the images /in this edition look as though they were produced on a photocopy machine. Whatever subtle hues in the original photographers are washed out of this printing in splotches of black and white. Avoid this edition.

[Ytr0001]

Nie oceniam: zdjęcia oczywiście są wspaniałe, natomiast jakość wydania pozostawia sporo do życzenia. Papier tego wydania jest fatalny, mało widać ze strony zdjęć, a książce przydałoby się trochę więcej lepszej redakcji. Ale dalej nie żałuję i mimo wszystko warto przeczytać (obejrzeć zdjęcia).

[Ian Carpenter · Rating 4 out of 5]

The kind of book that really bugs my friend Shelley. Not the book itself but the fact that I put a review of it on here. Because it's a book of photos. Sure, there's some writing in here, some of which is really interesting. But it's not a book, pure and simple. Shelley feels the same way about graphic novels. I don't know if it's because you're using this book to raise your reading numbers (I'm not going to use this one just so she doesn't organize a ban of me on Goodreads). Or, if it's that she gets excited about a new book to read and suddenly realizes you're just sitting there staring at pictures and pretending to read. Either way, Shelley doesn't like it!

But, the photos are astounding and some are quite moving. And, it's really great if you want to pretend to be reading something and turning the pages at a rate that impresses people. You're welcome - everyone but Shelley.

[Dawson Escott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great short read, the pictures are one of a kind and just up my alley more or less. But Weegee's style of writing is a bit offputting, too many ellipses ... and just a weird voice. The way he talks about his subjects is sort of overly naive and childish, sometimes endearing but a lot of the time just creepy. Still I guess worth while to hear an artist talk about their own work and process. But I read it for the pictures and the pictures are in their own class.

[Frankie]

I've always enjoyed Weegee's photos but this is the first time I've read his accompanying write-ups. It made them so much more moving.

[Rob Atkinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful collection of Weegee’s photographs documenting New York City’s seamier side in the early 1940s, with the photographer’s own punchy, tabloid-style commentary accompanying each themed section. Weegee (nicknamed phonetically after the Ouija board for his uncanny ability to be on any Interesting scene instantly with his camera, but né Arthur Felig in the city’s lower east side) loved New York and its characters, and his photos and text are tempered by that affection, rising above the sheerly exploitative. Weegee documents not just crime, disaster, and squalor, but also the common humanity of the urban poor, including in the African-American community. It’s an indispensable book for those with a love of New York City’s history, which deserves a solid five star rating; this DaCapo edition, the only reasonably affordable one I could find (it is currently and inexplicably out of print as I write) loses one of those stars as the paper quality is sub par and the reproductions of the photos are not the best. This iconic title cries out for a crisp reissue on glossy stock by a good art-house publisher.

Originally published in 1945, this photo-essay also inspired the slightly later superb film noir that shares its title, also well worth seeking out.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

Weegee devoted his life to the seedy side of life and photography. He also was a bit of a self-centered asshole; but he didn't hide anything, so he was the type asshole you could respect and even enjoy. Very cool reading about how he'd scoop other photographers and often be getting done shooting as cops arrived at a crime-scene.

[Nate Hendrix · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of those books where I have no idea how it got in my reading list, but I'm glad it did. I love candid photos from the past, the way they dressed and the other things in the pictures that we might not see today. Weegee was a great writer also. The captions and stories around his photos are excellent.

[Mike Nusbaum · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing collection of photographs. We learn how Usher Fellig earned his nickname of Weegee (a take on the word Ouija, the board game) by being at the scene of amazing events as they happened and capturing them on his camera. Truly a time capsule of an America that has passed along with interesting and sometimes heartbreaking true life events.

[Graham Cifelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing time capsule, I was really surprised at the quality of the writing as well as the photographs. The DeCapo Press editions quality is very low and printed on newsprint, but hey considering WeeGee was a press photography maybe they're better this way.

[Chas Andrews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cool photos from the 40s and 50s of NYC.

[Ling · Rating 5 out of 5]

read this in one sitting. i love Weegee’s approach to photography and his dark humour. this photo book made me an immediate fan. ❤️

[Caroline · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing.

[Jack · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mostly photos from the early to mid 1940s as seen by the author. Sound advice from the times in photographic practice with an interesting section featuring Alfred Stieglitz.

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Naked City is one of the classic books of photojournalism. Weegee, scandal and crime photographer, made his mark in the 40s with his trademark Speed Graphic, shooting pictures for Time magazine and newspapers. He worked quickly to turn around his images, with a developing studio in his car trunk and a police scanner by his bed. Weegee's nocturnal work is famous for documenting New York, capturing aspects of the people who inhabited this city - from Harlem to Coney Island. This book is well worth reading and poring over the classic images.

What I loved were Weegee's written vignettes to go along with the images - worthy of a classic noir, except this guy lived it. In Weegee's words "To me a photograph is a page from life, and that being the case, it must be real."

[Aaron · Rating 2 out of 5]

I would imagine that for the times these were great photos and as historical record they probably deserve better than two stars. However, the prose, written by Fellig (Weegee) himself is sketchy and juvenile and the photos are pedestrian. I assume he's the forerunner of photojournalism, but today he'd be paparazzi at best, an amateur ambulance chaser is more accurate. Plus, the advice he gives for aspiring photographers is extremely dated and is mostly common sense. It's hard to say I read this book because it's mostly pictures...but like they say, a picture is worth a thousand words. Though, I don't think these are.

[Jeff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Weegee's Naked City is, of course, New York City and this photo essay of the city is a must for anyone interested in the history of this great city. Written in 1945 it mostly covers the early forties, the war years, and includes now famous photos such as the beach shot at Coney Island (see below), opening night at the Met and bobbysoxers at a Sinatra concert.

Weegee (Usher Fellig) also includes a chapter of advice for those who would choose photography as a profession as well as brief chapters on the photographers Alfred Stieglitz and Pat Rich.

Although many of the photos included are familiar, reading Weegee's captions and insight add a new dimension.

[Nish · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is some overlap with Weegee's World in this collection or visa-versa. The usual lineup of Weegee fare includes fires, murders, children playing, discrimination in Harlem, class hierarchy, lovers in Coney Island, and other scenes from a New York City long gone. Pictures like this are essential for anyone trying to understand the dark underbelly of NYC in the early 20th century.

[Tom Romig · Rating 4 out of 5]

Weegee (Arthur Fellig) captures in photos and sprightly text the intrigue of the night (and, occasionally, the day) in New York City in the early 1940s. Fires, crimes, the opera, open air sleeping, assignations at the beach, Frank Sinatra and the bobbysoxers, and much more, with special stops in Harlem, the Bowery, and Coney Island. (Photos in this edition are grainy since they apparently are not from negatives but were shot from the original edition. A minor inconvenience.)

[Laçin Tutalar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Much impressed by the directness, honesty, grace and respect reflected from the pictures captured by Weegee. We are not talking about coffee table books, glossy pictures, fancy covers. This is a document of the art of unpretentious documentary.

[Jenny Sellars · Rating 5 out of 5]

I looked at this book, not read it obviously. Weegee was the best. Wish I could go back in time to experience NYC as he knew it.

[Andrea J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

A man whose work I admire.

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unique, insightful glimpse of light and darkness, life and death captured through the lens of a genius!

[Don Morrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been looking at this book since I found it on my parents' bookshelf at age 4. It never gets old.

[Sandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Esta edición es terrible, no se aprecia prácticamente ninguna de las fotografías con claridad... Una pena.

[Dipra Lahiri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pioneering street photographer, quick witted and quick fingered. The images and associated commentary are simply marvellous, a window to eternal human flaws and frailties.