Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with weegee

Is a DIY WeeGee Era Flash possible?

grabbingsand — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 08:49:47 -0800

How can I fake the tools of the 1930/40s paparazzi trade? You know what I mean, those wonderful speed cameras with the huge flashes. Assuming I can come up with some kind of land or speed camera, all I need is the flash. But flashbulbs are expensive, and vintage flash equipment is hard to come by - thanks, Star Wars fans! So might it be possible to build my own WeeGee-esque flash gun? Perhaps the body could be steel or copper tubing, plus a scavenged reflector of some sort. Where I'm stuck is the flash itself and the means of making it pop. Above all that, it would be a bonus to simulate the classic snap-and-sizzle sound. (You'd think there'd be something of this sort on Make or Instructables, but so far I'm coming up empty.)

Oh, and this is primarily for use as an on-stage theatre prop, though if someone could actually make this thing work as a for-reals flash, all the better.

In The Dark About Noir

Xurando — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 14:58:39 -0800

After reading this article on Weegee, I started thinking about the concept of Noir and wondered about this question. "Does Noir exist as a current idiom or appear in a culture in America in 2008, and if so where might it be found?" I know that Weegee's art is a classic example of Noir and was a reflection of the culture he photographed. If a photographer wanted to take similar pictures today where might he'/she go to catch a glimpse of Noir?

Man shoots pillow in cold blood!

turducken — Tue, 19 Dec 2006 19:35:09 -0800

WeegeeFilter: Help me identify a photo by the late, great Arthur Fellig. About 10 years ago, I bought a Weegee photo that's very similar to one that was included in the ICP's recent "Unknown Weegee" show. My photo is basically a pillow on a bed in some kind of cheap hotel; the ICP's print is a heart-shaped pillow on a similar bed, and the 12th image on this page from the museum's website.

So -- Does anyone know the backstory (how/when/why) of this photo set? I checked out the museum catalogue when I saw the ICP show, and there was no mention of it. The Weej took zillions of photos, so it could have been anything, from an advertising gig to (hopefully) something more sinister. Thanks much!

Photo Location - NYC - Lower East Side

toftflin — Wed, 26 Jan 2005 08:40:26 -0800

WeeGeeFilter/NYCFilter: Does anyone know where exactly the photo "Lower East Side" (also here) by Weegee (Arthur Fellig) was taken? I am interested in finding the exact street address. [MI] My friend is coming to visit me in Manhattan and they love this photo. I thought it would be a good idea if I could take them to that exact spot. I have no clue if the buildings still exist since the photo was taken in 1937 but I thought I'd bounce this one off the collective mind of MeFi. Anyone have a clue or possibly recognize the background? I know its a stretch.