The Legendary Photographer Who Almost Never Was: The Story Of Vivian Maier

In late 2007, a real estate agent from Chicago named John Maloof bought a box of film negatives, sight unseen, at auction for $380. The negatives, which numbered some 100,000, had been abandoned in a storage locker years ago and eventually made it to the auction house. That might seem like a strange purchase, but Maloof’s hobby was history, so he decided to have the photos developed to see what, if any, information or stories he could find on them. And he found much, much more than he ever dreamed.

Vivian Maier, via John Maloof

The negatives, as Maloof bought them at auction. No one knew what they contained.

Maloof had been expecting your standard snapshots, maybe some family photos from the 1950s and ’60s. What he found, though, were hundreds and hundreds of carefully–and beautifully–shot, professional-level photographs. They show street scenes of life in Chicago and New York in the middle of the century. The camera captured children, the elderly, the homeless, middle-class shoppers and people from all walks of life who shared the experience of the cities. But who took them?

Vivian Maier, via John Maloof

The photographer’s name was Vivian Maier, who was known for mainly for keeping to herself. She worked as a nanny for 40 years, and on her off time, she walked the streets of Chicago and New York with her Rolliflex camera, snapping photos. She even took one of her own reflection.

Vivian Maier, via John Maloof

A “selfie” taken in a reflection, showing not only Vivian Maier, but her camera.

But no one ever seemed to know about her photography. Maloof, once he found out Maier’s identity, scrambled to contact her. But he was too late. He came across her obituary in the Chicago Tribune in 2009. She had died of complications from a head injury. She was 83.

Today, Maloof manages Maier’s massive collection of photos, and her work has gained a significant recognition. It’s been exhibited with notable photographers all over the world. But as for Vivian Maier, the mystery remains. We know that she was raised in France and had some ties to Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, who founded the Whitney Museum of American Art, which may have influenced her artistic development. There’s no evidence, and perhaps there never will be, as to why she never put her photography work out into the world while she was alive.

You can see the rest of Maier’s work on the website, and as a bonus, you can check out the documentary that John Maloof created in her honor: