I have recently been carrying out some research into Arthur Fellig, or Weegee, as he was known. Weegee was the son of Jewish parents who emigrated to New York in 1910. Weegee started work as a photographers' assisstant, carrying 8 x 10 inch and 11 x 14 inch cameras around and prepping flash powder. Later he began working for Acme Newspictures who distributed photographs to several newspapers of the time. He took on the unpopular 'night time' shift and based himself to the rear of Police HQ, later renting a flat close by. His photographs of 'hit & runs', assassinations, fire scenes, and the seedier night life of New York brought him popularity and he became one of the only 'civilians' to be given a police radio so that he could be at the scene of an incident very soon after it took place.
Below are some of Weegee's images. I like the contrasty exposures and the very 'familiar' results due to the use of one light source at night, This is not so far removed from the way in which crime scenes are recorded today.
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