Lot 163

(5) Weegee Slice of Life Photos, From the Depression to Marilyn Monroe!

Previous image preload Next image preload

(5) Weegee Slice of Life Photos, From the Depression to Marilyn Monroe!

Estimate: $200 - $300

Current Bid: $220

(4 Bids)

June 17, 2026 10:00 AM EDT
Live Auction
Wilton, CT, US

Description:

Weegee
[New York, NY], ca. 1930s-1950s
(5) Weegee Slice of Life Photos, From the Depression to Marilyn Monroe!
Archive

Five vintage photographs taken by Weegee (Arthur Fellig) (1899-1968), an Ukrainian-American street photographer celebrated for his candid snapshots of mid-20th C. urban daily life. N.d. but ca. 1930s-1950s. [New York, New York.] All semi-glossy black and white gelatin silver photographs from the original negatives. Unsigned and unstamped, but all have been photo-identified after Weegee originals. The majority of the prints are clean and crisp, with exceptional condition issues elaborated below. Else near fine. 10" x 8" or 8" x 10". Provenance: Direct chain of custody from Wilma Wilcox in the early 1990s.

Weegee began his career as a street photographer and tabloid photojournalist. At first, he worked almost exclusively at night, rushing over to document crime and accident scenes reported over the police radio. His interests expanded to include New Yorkers of all walks of life, but especially the working poor, the victimized, or the outcast. Weegee took series of many of the subjects featured in in this lot; for example, his snapshots of children include these sleeping kids on a fire escape, but also kids playing in a fire hydrant, watching movies in a picture palace, and playing on the street. His black and white portraits are striking in their candor. Weegee unerringly understood that people were fascinated by the unusual and bizarre, but also responded to his sympathetic portraits with compassion and empathy.

The lot includes:

1. Weegee, a photograph of Hollywood actress Marilyn Monroe blowing a kiss. Ca. early 1950s. The International Center of Photography lists this photograph title as: "Marilyn Monroe." Weegee later used this photograph of Monroe in distortion photo experiments.

2. Weegee, a photograph of a male cross-dresser disembarking from a police wagon. Ca. 1939. The International Center of Photography lists this photograph title as: "Man arrested for cross-dressing, New York."

3. Weegee, a photograph showing two well-dressed socialites sailing past a poorer woman on the street. November 22, 1943. The International Center of Photography lists this photograph title as: "Mrs. George Washington Kavanaugh and Lady Decies entering the opening night of the Metropolitan Opera's Diamond Jubilee, New York." Minor water stain affecting the top edge which can easily be concealed by framing, else near fine.

4. Weegee, a photograph of an elaborately dressed lounge singer. Ca. 1944. The International Center of Photography lists this photograph title as: "Norma Devine is Sammy's Mae West."

5. Weegee, a photograph of eight small children with a kitten sleeping on a city fire escape. May 22, 1941. The International Center of Photography lists this photograph title as: "Tenement sleeping during heat spell, Lower East Side, New York."

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

WE PROVIDE IN-HOUSE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE!

  • Dimensions: 10" x 8" or 8" x 10"
  • Medium: Archive

Accepted Forms of Payment:

ACH, American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Paypal, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

Unless otherwise indicated, we do our own in-house world-wide shipping!

Applicable shipping and handling charges will be added to the invoice. We offer several shipping options, and remain one of the few auction houses that proudly provides professional in-house shipping as an option to our clients. All items will ship with a signature required option, and full insurance. Most items are sent via Federal Express, with P. O. Box addresses being sent through USPS. We insure through Berkley Asset Protection with rates of $.70 per $100 of value, among the lowest insurance rates in the industry. Our shipping department cameras document every package, both outgoing and incoming, for maximum security. In addition, we compare our shipping and handling rates against those of other auction houses, to ensure that our charges are among the lowest in the trade.

Upon winning your item(s), you will receive an invoice with our in-house shipping and handling fees included. ***We will ship to the address as it appears on your invoice. If any changes to the shipping address need to be made, you must inform us immediately.***

International shipments: In order to comply with our insurance provider, all international shipments will be sent via Fed Ex and customs paperwork will show a value of $1.00. International buyers should contact our office directly with any questions regarding this policy.

Third-Party Shipping Option: If a third-party shipper is preferred, the buyer is responsible for contacting them directly to make shipping arrangements. For your convenience, we have provided some recommended shippers. For your protection, we will require a signed release from you, confirming your authorization for us to release your lots to your specified third-party. At that point, our responsibility and insurance coverage for your item(s) ceases. Items picked up by third-party shippers are required to pay Connecticut sales tax. Items requiring third-party shipping due to being oversized, fragile or bulky will be denoted in the item description.

Please see our full terms and conditions for names of suggested third-party shippers.

After payment has been made in full, University Archives will ship your purchase within 10 business days following receipt of full payment for item.

Please remember that the buyer is responsible for all shipping costs from University Archives' offices in Wilton, CT to the buyer's door. Please see full Terms and Conditions of Sale.

University Archives

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 25% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $299 $20
$300 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $2,999 $200
$3,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 + $5,000