Society of the Spectacle offers a new perspective on Weegee's work, presenting his iconic photographs alongside lesser-known works. Weegee's macabre tabloid photographs, depicting murdered gangsters, bodies trapped in wrecked cars, shantytowns consumed by fire, and other dramatic records of New York's nightlife in the '30s and '40s, are legendary. Less known is the work he created in the last years of his career, when he satirized Hollywood, mocking its fleeting fame, cheerful crowds, and social scenes, as well as creating celebrity portraits, which he enjoyed distorting using a palette of technical tricks.

And here lies the paradox of Weegee: how can two such different bodies of work coexist? Offering the first assessment of the famous photographer's career as a whole, this book reconciles the two sides of Weegee, showing how "spectacle" was the unifying theme of his work. More than 130 images, some iconic and others more rarely seen, are accompanied by essays exploring the continuous themes throughout Weegee's career, his work in documentation and photojournalism, as well as his last major series shot on the set of Stanley Kubrick's film, Dr. Strangelove.

• Pages: 208
• Publication Year: 0309
• Dimensions: 20.6x20.6cm