“This Photo Sold for Use in One Publication Only, not to be resold, loaned, syndicated, or used for advertising purposes without written permission. Credit Line Must Read Photo by A. Fellig, 5 Center Market Place N. Y. C.”
Used between 1937-1938. Purple ink.

“This Photo Sold for Use in One Publication Only, Credit Line Must Read, Arthur Fellig Photo, 5 Center Market Place, New York City”
Used between 1938-1941. Purple ink.

“Arthur Fellig, 5 Center Market Place, New York City”
Used between 1938-1945. Purplish-pinkish-redish ink. One of the most common stamps.

“Please Credit Photograph By WEEGEE”
Used mostly in 1943, and found on photos from 1937-1945. Purplish-pinkish ink.

“Credit Photo by WEEGEE”
Used mostly in 1941, and 1940-1942, and found on photos from 1937-1945. Pinkish-purplish ink. One of the most common stamps.

“Photo by Weegee, N.Y.C. 5 Center Market Pl.”
Used in 1943. Dark purple ink.

“Photo by Weegee, N.Y.C.”
Used between 1940-1944. Purplish-brownish ink.

“Credit Photo by WEEGEE, The Famous”
Found on photos from 1937-1945, but most common on photos from 1941-1945. Mostly pinkish-purple ink. (We think Weegee used this stamp from 1941-1945, after he was famous.)

“Credit Line Must Read, WEE GEE PHOTO, 5 Center Market Place, N.Y.C. This picture is sold to you for your publication only and must not be loaned, syndicated, or used for advertising purposes without written permission from us.”
Used between 1944-1945. Red Ink.

“Acme Pictures, Inc. Eighth Ave. New York City, Please Credit ‘Acme Photo’. This picture is sold to you for your publication only and must not be loaned, syndicated or used for advertising purposes without written permission from us.”
Used between 1940-1945. Red ink.

“Please Credit WEEGEE, from Photo-Representatives”
Used on photos dating from 1937-1950s or 60s… in black ink… the most common stamp.

The four most common stamps, in order:
1.
2.
3.
4.

WTF, or what is this nonsense? Several years ago a brilliant colleague and I looked though thousands of Weegee’s photos that had a definitive published date. And then we looked at the backs of those prints. The above, approximate dates of when the stamps were used and the most common ink colors, is the result of our work. Obviously it’s not perfect; we couldn’t look at every Weegee photo; a photo could have been stamped at any time, etc., etc… Nevertheless, it’s probably not too wrong, it’s a start, a step in the right direction…

Weegee’s stamps, from the GEH’s Notes on Photographs webpage (a link is here). (All images are screen shots from that webpage:-)

To be continued…