By now her story is one that’s been told often: A Chicago nanny takes thousands of photos, many are of street scenes from all over the city. She never tells anyone about her passion for photography. A young man buys boxes of her works on a whim at an auction, only to later realize in his possession are what will become some of the most critically acclaimed examples of street photography perhaps ever. By the time the man realizes the value of his findings, the mysterious woman who took the photos has passed away.
This is the story of Vivian Maier and the man who found her work, John Maloof. Maloof has become obsessed with Maier, having researched her background and directed a documentary that attempts to find out more about her past. And now, there’s a new twist to this tale. While Maloof claims he did due diligence to find Maier’s closest heir and work out a deal regarding the rights to her work, a new court cases alleges he’s been wrongfully showing her works and profiting from them. Chicago Tribune reporter, Jason Meisner, has been following the case. He recently joined us for this interview.
