Coney Island Beach

Born in Lemberg (present-day L’viv, Ukraine), photojournalist Usher Fellig began his career as an adolescent, working photography-related jobs in New York to help support his family. Fellig, whose first name was changed from Usher to Arthur upon his immigration to the United States, later became known under the pseudonym Weegee, a phonetic spelling of Ouija, alluding to his seemingly prescient ability to arrive at crime scenes with his camera in hand. As a freelance photographer, Fellig found popular success with his sensational news photos. At the same time, he was respected in fine-art circles, exhibiting his work with New York’s Photo League and at the Museum of Modern Art. Fellig produced several photo books, in addition to writing and lecturing about photography.