Label Text:
Arthur Fellig, or Weegee as he was nicknamed because of his uncanny ability to find the latest crime scene, was a press photographer in New York during the 1920s. Obsessed with his job, Weegee practically lived in his car so he could arrive at the location as soon as news of a crime broke. His images went beyond the realm of typical press photography, and he became known for his gritty recordings of life on the street. His photographs had a life of their own, a sense of immediacy and direct confrontation.
Although he was best known for his documentation of violent crime scenes, Weegee also enjoyed taking pictures of children. He began his career by photographing children taking pony rides in the park and soon realized that parents, whatever their income level, were always interested in having their children immortalized. His later images of children, however, were more than just portraits made for gain; he chose to show them at their most vulnerable or most joyous moments.
In this image of a young boy, Weegee captures a moment of absurdity as well as vulnerability. If we can believe the title, the young boy was arrested for running away from home for the fourth time, a punishment that hardly fits the “crime.” Indeed, the surrounding press photographers seem to confirm this was a slow news day. HKDV
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https://museums.fivecolleges.edu/detail.php?t=objects&type=ext&id_number=SC+1988.15.4 |
