Self portrait by Vivian Maier
Thanks to photographer Rebecca Haegele, I learned about Vivian Maier, a woman who passed away two and a half years ago, an artist who spent her life in oblivion working as a nanny in the Chicago suburbs. Ms. Maier took her camera everywhere, and with her superb eye, documented the streets of the city. 
Photo by Vivian Maier
Her thousands of photos, many of them still undeveloped and in their canisters, were discovered by 26-year-old John Maloof at an auction of unclaimed items. 
Photo by John Maloof
What a find.
Photo by Vivian Maier
This weekend, thanks to Mr Maloof's efforts, a show will open at the Chicago Cultural Center. If you live in that area I hope you get the chance to visit.
Photo by Vivian Maier
If you can't go to the exhibit in Chicago, you should at least visit John Maloof's blog; he gives you the details of what he has learned about Vivian Maier and shows many examples of her fantastic work.
Check out the following link to see an interview with John Maloof and look at his boxes full of negatives. Super cool:
Vivian Maier
A slide show of Ms. Maier's work:
Vivian Maier
A slide show of Ms. Maier's work:
Really neat information and sad that she did not get the recognition she deserved when she was living...
ReplyDeleteI am unfamiliar with her work. Thanks so much for this lovely introduction!
ReplyDeleteThe photographs are exquisite. Thank you for this.
ReplyDeleteSuch a great story isn't it?
ReplyDeleteoh! I don't live in or near Chicago, but will visit the blog to see....
ReplyDeleteI hope things have changed a bit in the intervening years and women photographers are appreciated as highly as men.
ReplyDeleteI wish I could take good photographs. Occasionally I might be lucky, but luck, not skill, is all it is.