The story reads like a mystery novel. After being born in New York City and growing up in France, a young woman named Vivian Maier was a nanny caring for children in Chicago for forty years. She was never seen without a camera but no one ever saw a developed image during her lifetime. It wasn’t until 2007 when a local Chicago historian and collector bought a trunk full of negatives at an auction that her story and talent was revealed. We now know she took more than 150,000 images in her lifetime – most of them mesmerizing and unique. She has now become known as one of the 20th centuries most prolific street photographers. Most of her images are of real people living real lives. They are vibrant and speak volumes about the decades they captured. Her self portraits are also captivating. You can’t help but wonder how someone who was so clearly mesmerized by photography didn’t share her passion with her friends and family or at least develop the images to enjoy herself. It’s a complete mystery to me.
I have promised myself I will get to the theater more regularly before the arrival of my third next fall. I have always loved the anonymity of a cool dark theater – the peace and quiet of an evening spent without constant chatter. The Avon in Stamford offers a fabulous line up of blockbusters, art house films and documentaries. The Chef is currently showing and I am dying to see it. Fingers crossed they will get Finding Vivian Maier later this summer. Watch the trailer below. It looks fantastic!
OMG – I have goosebumps looking at the intimacy of her photos. What a bizarre mystery her entire life was. Thanks for the heads up on the upcoming movie – let’s see it together.