Vivian Maier was a prolific street photographer. She worked as a nanny and lived in Chicago for decades - in life, her talent went under the radar.
Yet after her death in 2009 - a storage locker of her personal belongings was auctioned off. The winning bidder, John Maloof, had noticed the thousands of negatives and thought he might be able to use them for a project he was working on about a Chicago neighborhood. Instead, after realizing the breadth and artistic merit of the photographs, many of which were taken of unwitting subjects, Maloof started promoting the photos online and in galleries. They were met with critical acclaim.
A documentary was made about his findings, which was nominated for an Academy Award. However a battle over who owns the rights to Maier's work halted his efforts, as well as others who had come to possess her works. A decision was reached last week by the Cook County courts. Jason Meisner is a reporter for The Chicago Tribune who has followed the case and spoken with Maloof about it - he joined us for this interview:
For more information and links to pictures:
- John Maloof's site with photographs, vivianmaier.com
- Read some of Jason Meisner's reporting: Fight over Vivian Maier's photos settled, but deal sealed from public; Hunt for acclaimed photographer Vivian Maier's long-lost brother heats up ; Official: Settlement over photographer Vivian Maier's estate must stay secret
- Official website for the Finding Vivian Meyer documentary
