Vivian Maier amassed a collection of more than 150,000 photographic negatives during her lifetime, the vast majority of which remained hidden from public view until two years before her death. While she spent four decades working as a nanny and caregiver in Chicago, her private artistic output captured the urban landscape and social fabric of the 20th century.
Early Life and Background
Born in New York City in 1926 to a French mother and an Austrian father, Maier moved between the United States and France throughout her childhood. By 1930, she resided in the Bronx with Jeanne Bertrand, a professional photographer who held connections to the Whitney Museum of American Art. Following several years in Saint-Julien-en-Champsaur, she returned to New York, where her father worked as a steam engineer.
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In 1951, Maier relocated to New York, eventually moving to Chicago’s North Shore in 1956. She spent the next forty years employed as a nanny, most notably for the Gensburg and Raymond families. During her days off, she traversed the streets of Chicago with a Rolleiflex camera. Her work extended beyond local streets; in 1959 and 1960, she embarked on a solo world tour that included Thailand, Vietnam, Egypt, and Switzerland, likely financed by the sale of a family farm.
Discovery and Posthumous Acclaim
Maier’s body of work surfaced in 2007 when storage lockers in Chicago containing her negatives, prints, and films were auctioned due to unpaid fees. Collectors John Maloof, Ron Slattery, and Randy Prow acquired the materials. Following the publication of her images on the internet in 2008 and their subsequent viral spread on Flickr in 2009, Maier gained international recognition.
Fast facts
- Born: 1926, New York City
- Died: 2009, Chicago
- Primary Occupation: Nanny
- Total Photographs: Over 150,000
- Citizenship: United States and France
- Key Locations: Chicago, New York City, Los Angeles
- Primary Equipment: Rolleiflex camera
Questions readers ask
Did Vivian Maier publish her work during her lifetime?
No, her photographs remained unknown and unpublished until after her death.
How was her work discovered?
It was purchased at an auction of her storage unit contents by three separate collectors in 2007.
Achievements
- Notable work: Vivian Maier's photograph collection
