loading
reading
writing
saving
searching
SCARCE New York City Photography Weegee's People 1946 1st ed DJ Weegee - $150 (Upper East Side)
QR Code Link to This Post
This is the second book by arguably New York's most famous photographer Weegee. It is scarce in dustjacket.
After Weegee's runaway success with his first book of photos in 1945, Naked City, his publisher Essential Books quickly followed up with this collection of Weegee's photographs.
The book is filled with over 200 stark black and white photographs of the citizens of New York captured by a master news and human interest photographer.
Many times the subjects were unaware that Weegee was taking their picture as he was as unobtrusive as possible until the moment he snapped the photo.
This copy is scarce because it is a first edition and has the dust jacket which protected the book well, so even though the dj has faults, the book itself is in very good plus condition with very little wear.
In this collection Weegee focuses on the common people as he was drawn to them. Many photos of African Americans. Lots of children. The Down and Out. Society types. People enjoying themselves. Also has a photo of the strange Greenwich Village "poet" and character that Joseph Mitchell later made famous in his New Yorker profile piece and subsequent book - Joe Gould. The reason Weegee still has such a following today is that so many of his photographs are timeless and could have been taken today.
In this photo essay, Weegee lets the photos do the talking as the text is minimal, he keeps his comments brief and sometimes poignant.
Chapters are simply titled: 1. The Park Bench 2. Society 3. The Sidewalk 4. The Dance 5. A Place To Sleep 6. The Children's Hour 7. Sub Cellar Ball 8. Back Stage 9. Saturday Night 10. The Building 11. Portrait of a City
Great photos of a vanished New York and a highly collectible book. Weegee's original books have always been desirable to book collectors. Here is your chance to pick up a very nice first edition copy in its original dustjacket at an excellent price.
from the dust jacket flap
Weegee is in love with New York and its people. Weegee’s People is the author's portrait of New York in all its gayer aspects.
This new book is Manhattan in a happy mood, from a night at the Opera and cheerful night club celebrants to park romances, people sleeping in the sun and street life.
As page after page of Weegee’s pictures unfolds, this latest book is recognized as another triumph—one of the most humorous and understanding portraits of New York any artist has ever had the good fortune to create.
To Weegee it is all very simple: ”Here's my formula, dealing as I do with human beings... I find they're wonderful. I leave them alone and let them be themselves .. . holding hands ... Sleeping... doing anything they want to do. The trick is to go where the people are. One doesn't need a scenario or shooting script—just be human.”
hardcover unpaginated- but approximately 222 pages of photographs plus introduction text. 1946 first edition with no other printings stated on printing page or dustjacket size: approx: 7" x 9.75"
Condition - Book is very good plus. Brownish burgundy cloth cover with title has little wear. Corners have very light to almost no wear. Spine straight with almost no wear. Hinges are tight. Text block well attached.
Previous owners tiny ink ownership stamp on front free endpaper. There is a crease that runs on the title page that looks as though it was done in the binding process. No writing on any other pages.
Dustjacket has wear and tears, slight staining in "W" of Weegee. Dust jacket has small tears and wear but has done its job in protecting the book. Rear panel has an irregular sized piece missing about three and a half by one inch. Spine of dustjacket has wear and chips and tears. Original price unclipped dust jacket is now protected in a protective sleeeve.
Price $150- CASH ONLY. You pick-up on upper east side. Please no- "what is your best price?" Price is firm. NO OFFERS or haggling on price. Do not ask if book is still available. If you are reading this, it is available. I remove sold items.