Weegee: The Shadow Photographer of Depression Era New York Arthur Fellig, better known as Weegee (pronounced “WEE-jay”), wasn’t a formally trained artist in the traditional sense. He possessed no academic pedigree or studio practice; instead, he forged his reputation—and arguably his legacy—through the relentless observation and documentation of urban decay and violence during the Great Depression and World War II years in New York City. His photographs weren't intended to beautify or romanticize; they confronted viewers with a brutal honesty that captured the grim realities of American soci…