Jazz Club, circa 1945
Vintage gelatin silver print
14 x 11 in
Weegee stamp on verso
November 7, 2022
Weegee is most famous for his crime scene photography, but his real subject was the city after dark, the more sensational the situation the better. The boisterous atmosphere of New York City jazz clubs supplied ample excitement and in the 1940s Weegee regularly photographed during performances. It’s notable that his jazz club photographs typically focus on the audience rather than the performers, an approach that carried over from his street photographs of the gawkers at crime scenes and fires. This joyous photograph captures the communal energy of a concert performance, while also singling out a moment of individual elation.
In the 1940s, the swing music which had inspired scores of dancers, was giving way to the even more radical sounds. In Harlem, performers at the Apollo Theater and the Savoy Ballroom would gather at Minton’s Playhouse after shows and astound late night audiences there with the pyrotechnic playing that came to be known as Bebop, a music which became synonymous with the energy and excitement of New York City nightlife.
