Vivian Maier

Vivian Maier
Self-portrait, New York City, c. 1950s
Born
Vivian Dorothy Maier

(1926-02-01)February 1, 1926
New York City, U.S.
DiedApril 21, 2009(2009-04-21) (aged 83)
Oak Park, Illinois, U.S.
Known forPhotography

Vivian Dorothy Maier (February 1, 1926 – April 21, 2009) was an American street photographer whose work was discovered and recognized after her death. She took more than 150,000 photographs during her lifetime, primarily of the people and architecture of Chicago, New York City, and Los Angeles, although she also traveled and photographed around the world.[1]

During her lifetime, Maier's photographs were unknown and unpublished; many of her negatives were never developed. A Chicago collector, John Maloof, acquired some of Maier's photos in 2007, while two other Chicago-based collectors, Ron Slattery and Randy Prow, also found some of Maier's prints and negatives in her boxes and suitcases around the same time. Maier's photographs were first published on the Internet in July 2008, by Slattery, but the work received little response.[2] In October 2009, Maloof linked his blog to a selection of Maier's photographs on the image-sharing website Flickr, and the results went viral, with thousands of people expressing interest. Maier's work subsequently attracted critical acclaim,[3][4] and since then, Maier's photographs have been exhibited around the world.[5][6]

Her life and work have been the subject of books and documentary films, including the film Finding Vivian Maier (2013), which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival,[7] and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature at the 87th Academy Awards.[8]

  1. ^ ""Vivian Maier: A Life Discovered" hosted by Tim Roth at the Merry Karnowsky Gallery in Los Angeles. – Vivian Maier Photographer". Vivian Maier Photographer. January 8, 2012.
  2. ^ Slattery, Ron. (July 2008) "Story", in Big Happy Fun House. Retrieved on January 11, 2011.
  3. ^ Beck, Katie (January 21, 2011). "Vivian Maier: A life's lost work seen for first time". BBC. Retrieved January 21, 2011.
  4. ^ "Vivian Maier", Chicago Tonight, broadcast by WTTW, December 22, 2010. Retrieved on January 4, 2011
  5. ^ "Exhibitions | Vivian Maier". Vivian Maier Photography. Jeffrey Goldstein. September 14, 2013. Retrieved May 26, 2014.
  6. ^ "Vivian Maier: La Fotógrafa Revelada". Corporación Cultural de Las Condes. Archived from the original on October 21, 2015. Retrieved November 6, 2015.
  7. ^ "New doc exposes photo-snapping nanny Vivian Maier". Retrieved January 27, 2018.
  8. ^ "2015 Oscar Nominations: Imitation Game, Meryl Streep, Still Alice & More". Out Magazine. January 15, 2015.