Weegee Famous

For reasons that are forever mysterious, certain works of art become iconic, forever memorable. They become "more than the sum of their parts." They may not be intrinsically brilliant or great creations but they contain a magic that propels them into common memory. 

Think of the Mona Lisa: it's a simple portrait of a women giving a slight smile -- and it's the most famous painting in history.

Why? Who knows? 

Certain works of art just capture a je ne sais quoi that they achieve icon status. And that's true of this picture by the NYC photographer "Weegee" (nee Arthur Fellig) taken in 1943 outside the old Metropolitan Opera House:

It's two socialites being observed with disgust by a female hobo. That's it. But it neatly sums up economic inequality -- making this 75 year old photo more relevant today than ever.

So who was Weegee, the man who took it? And what's the story behind this picture?

Weegee was a photographer from the Lower East Side who basically invented the idea of "crime photography." His searing pictures of crime scenes become infamous in 1930s and 1940s  NYC newspapers. Then he turned his attention to street scenes, capturing poverty and economic displacement. That effort culminated in this photo that Time Magazine dubbed one of the Most Influential Photographs of All Time. 

And it's a fake -- Weegee was a bit of a rascal and he totally staged this picture. The hobo in the picture is someone he found on the Lower East Side, got completely drunk, and then positioned next to these two ladies outside the opera house. 

Needless to say, his gambit paid off: he got the picture, got it published, and it become famous.

And now there's a big new biography about him telling his whole life story -- just because he took (i.e. staged) this picture.

Goes to show, you never know how -- or if -- you'll be remembered, and what works of art will make their creators famous.

Je. Ne, Sais. Quoi.