“A N.Y. Police Reporter’s Impressions of Washington D.C.”

March 2, 2019
1941, PM


PM, March 2, 1941, p50

A N.Y. Police Reporter’s Impressions of Washington D.C.

Story and Pictures by WEEGEE

“Things were quiet all week in New York. Nothing was popping. There were no big time murders, no roasts (people burned to death at tenement house fires) and no dry divers (people jumping out of windows and off ledges) for me to photograph. So I thought I would go to Washington and do a picture story on what goes on there.

I went on the poor man’s Pullman. I was in no hurry and besides on a bus you can always meet a nice little cutie to keep you company and hold hands with.

At the bus terminal on West 50th St., in the basement, sandwiched in between two doors was an automatic photo machine. I dropped a dime in and had my photo taken. I got the photo in about two minutes. This was the first time I received a mechanical insult…

Inside the juke box was going strong with the Andrews Sisters singing Johnny Peddler… As we left the place the Andrews Sisters in a whiz-bang finale gave everything they had with Beat Me Daddy Eight to a Bar assisted by Woody Herman on Decca record No. 3454…

The Madam then read my palm, asked me the date of my birth, told me I was born under the sign of Cancer, was a very determined person, fickle, but has a kind heart and could make some woman very happy…

The Madam’s crack about me being a salesman reminded me that I was in Washington to do a picture story… so I jumped in a taxi and in an hour made some…

I am glad to get back to New York.”


PM, March 2, 1941, p50


Andrews Sisters, Johnny Peddler (I Got), Andrews Sisters; Vic Schoen And His Orchestra; Lew Brown; Laurindo De Almeida; Ubirajara Nesdan; August 3, 1940


Woody Herman And His Orchestra; Beat Me Daddy, Eight to a Bar; Woody Herman And His Orchestra; Woody Herman; Don Raye; Hughie Prince; Eleanore Sheehy; 1940; Decca 3454 B


Andrews Sisters; Beat Me Daddy, Eight to a Bar; Andrews Sisters; Vic Shoen And His Orchestra; Don Raye; Hughie Prince; Eleanore Sheehy; 1940; Decca 3375 B

(This may not be the most important thing in this amazing full page of a NY Police Reporter’s Impressions of Washington DC., but the Weegeeweegeeweegee fact checking department spotted a potential discrepancy, if Weegee heard the Andrews Sisters sing Beat Me Daddy, Eight to a Bar it was probably not Decca 3454 B, it was probably Decca 3375 B, that Weegee heard on the juke box 78 years ago… again, not the most important thing…)

“But Is It Art?”

March 2, 2019
1941, PM


PM, March 2, 1941
The Art Students Hold Their Annual Party… But Is It Art?
Miss Babita, that’s the whole name, is a well known psychic, her friends said. The sign may indicate some of her friends aren’t.

This is a mermaid costume that won first prize, a bagful of money which she didn’t count. The winner in the costume is Renee Parsons.

She graced the annual ball of the Art Students’ League at the Commodore Friday night and she is Natalia Munez.
PM photos by Weegee


New York Post, March 1, 1941


Weegee, Naked City, 1945, pp. 214-215

Recent Auction: Motorist’s Pillar of Death

March 1, 2019
auction


Weegee, [Accident], March 1, 1939 (images from auction website)

Sold for $699.99 (plus $8.00 shipping) on December 16, 2018.

“Motorist’s Pillar of Death
New York City – One man was killed when this car hit a lone pillar standing along the line where the old Sixth Avenue elevated railway is being dismantled. Policemen are checking the wreckage at Sixth Avenue and 27th Street early March 1.
3/1/39″

80 years ago today…

“500 Self Portraits”

February 28, 2019
book


“Weegee, Self-Portrait as a Talent Scout, ca. 1950-2″, p 431
(“500 Self Portraits” published by Phaidon)

(There are 500 self portraits in the Naked City… and this is one page of them…)

Recent Auction (Seven Swans A Selling)

February 27, 2019
auction


(Screenshot of Swann Auction Galleries website)

Swann, “Photographs: Art and Visual Culture,” February 21, 2019, sale 2499, lots 101, 102, 170.

1. Empire State Building (distortion); sold for $3,750. (Beautiful photo; of course it’s a photo of a photo.)

2. Four photos; sold for $6,000. (Nice prints; of course the photos were made in 1943-44.)

3. Pair of distortions; sold for $3,900. (Nice prints; photos of photos?)

Interesting and Great

February 25, 2019
1941, context, PM


PM, February 24, 1941, p. 20

“Weegee Meets Interesting People At a 6 a.m. Sunday Fire”
“Cruising around Times Square at 6 a.m. Sunday with the police radio on in my car…”



PM, February 25, 1941, pp. 12-13 (photos by Max Coplan)

“Mrs. Gargantua the Great… A Picture Profile“

“How to House the Poor”

February 24, 2019
Uncategorized


The New York Times, February 24, 1896

“How to House the Poor”

“Completed Plans of the Conference to be Held Next Week”

“Building Company May Be Formed”

“Meetings to be Held Afternoons and Evenings – Morning Tours of Inspection.”

“The question of how best to house the poor in the crowded districts of great cities will be discussed in an interesting series of meetings to be held in this city…”

“Will Improved Housing Pay?”- “Moral Aspects of the Question” – “Next Steps Forward,”…

“The meetings will be held in the large audience hall of the United Charities Building, 105 East Twenty-second Street…”


fotograhiska screenshot

[The United Charities Building, 105 East Twenty-second Street, also known as 287 Park Avenue South, built in 1892 or 1893 or 1894, sold for $128 million several years ago, soon, sometime in 2019, will be a “destination for photography.” (“A haven of innovation and free expression.”… “Fotografiska New York will be anything but an ordinary museum, and we look forward to sharing our world-class photography, award-winning culinary experience, innovative academy, and cultural event programming…”… “The Museum of Photography, 281 Park Avenue South, New York.”… fotograhiska.)]

“The party will visit the following places Wednesday morning:
6:30 – Department of Street Cleaning… Col. George Waring” [Waring died eight months later of yellow fever. Waring was a “designer and advocate of sewer systems that keep domestic sewage separate from storm runoff.” wikipedia]
“10 – People’s Bath, 9 Centre Market Place…” [While researching Centre Market Place we stumbled upon this fascinating article.]
“10:30 – Police Headquarters, 300 Mulberry Street, Theodore Roosevelt, President” [Teddy was president of the US from 1901-1909… Police headquarters at 240 Centre St. opened in 1909.]
“12:15 – Tee-To-Tum Club, 346 East Twenty-third Street…”

The New York Times, February 24, 1896


The New York Times, March 11, 1894

A perennial question as posed by The NY Times and addressed by the “Improved Housing Conference” 123 years ago today: “How to House the Poor.”

Recent auction: “Mayor Nipped By Jack Frost”

February 23, 2019
1942, auction



(images from auction site)

Sold for $599.99 (plus $8.00 for shipping)
in December 2018.

PM press photo from Culver… “PM-FILE” means it wasn’t published…

“F.H. La Guardia at fire 1/8/42
Pay if used (arrow to Weegee stamp)
before he… his check” written on verso


Extra! Weegee, pp. 202-203

Photo is in the extraordinary Extra! Weegee, with the caption: “Mayor Nipped By Jack Frost.” “…5-alarm fire at the municipally owned pier 83 on the Hudson River… his right cheek was frost bitten…”

“Coney Island Beach” + “Sardines” = WE and WEEGEE at the Whitney

February 22, 2019
exhibition


Whitney Museum, 2019

[Arshile Gorky (1902-1948), The Artist and His Mother, 1926-c. 1936.] – from whitney.org

Weegee in the wild…


screenshot, whitney.org

(Small image file – 300 pixels wide, can’t see the back of the print, good to know that it’s a posthumous print, this may not be accurate: “for PM, a tabloid-style newspaper for which he did occasional freelance work.” – “occasional”?)


screenshot, whitney.org