Selected circus images (Woman in a Whirl; Freak Cat; Tiger Jumping, with Audience)

Dressed in a clown disguise, Weegee often frequented the circus during the 1940s for his photojournalist work. He continued to visit the circus at Madison Square Garden through the 1950s. Weegee's special lens multiplies the circus woman's face creating a wonderfully playful pattern and suggests the spontaneous and whirling atmosphere under the circus tent. It is suggested that these images are based on works Weegee made earlier in the 1940s and then produced in the 1950s after he had perfected these effects.