Weegee (1899–1968) - Putting Out The Fire, New York 1937

WEEGEE - Putting Out The Fire
Firemen extinguishing a fire in the Ameko American Kitchen Products Company building on Water Street, New York. The ironic sign on the side of the building reads 'Simply add boiling water' in reference to Hygrade frankfurters. 1937
Working as a freelance photographer for the tabloid press in the 1930s, Arthur Fellig was renowned for his ability to appear at the scene of a crime or fire moments after it occurred. To further his reputation, he adopted the name Weegee, derived from the phonetic spelling of the Ouija board, in which a spiritual force prophesies events. The truth was more prosaic: the photographer had rented a room near police headquarters, which enabled him to pick up emergency signals on his shortwave radio and beat the police to the site. He often subtitled his published images, adding irony or dark humor to disastrous situations such as the fire depicted here, which occurred at the American Kitchen Products building on Water Street in downtown Manhattan.
Print from Weegee Portfolio
Exhibition Print based on the 1982 prints by Sid Kaplan,
printed 1992. Produced for Amber Film & Photography Collective, Newcastle upon Tyne