The blog-o-sphere is abuzz with praise for Vivian Maier’s mid-century photographs of public New York and Chicago life. The photos were taken by a live-in nanny working for wealthy families in Chicago’s north shore. Her photos, over 100,000 of them, were discovered after her death two years ago. To my untrained eye, they are gorgeous, interesting, and well-composed. A fascinating look at another time. More sociologically, they gracefully depict differences in socioeconomic class. I wonder if Maier, working-class herself, had a special sensitivity to these divides. In any case, I appreciate the texture that the photographs add to an understanding of how people of different classes lived.
Visit the website devoted to Maier here. Photos borrowed from there and Chicago Magazine. Via Crooked Timber.
Lisa Wade, PhD is an Associate Professor at Tulane University. She is the author of American Hookup, a book about college sexual culture; a textbook about gender; and a forthcoming introductory text: Terrible Magnificent Sociology. You can follow her on Twitter and Instagram.
Comments 14
Zara — March 14, 2011
I love that in the photo of the two women with their children, the little girl's pose echoes that of the women: defiant, hands on hips.
Mint — March 14, 2011
I've been following this story for a while, I love her photographs.
Mo — March 14, 2011
I went to the blog and read it. Thank goodness the finder of these photos realized what a treasure they were. And what a shame that she passed away before he could meet her. These are amazing. Striking and almost haunting in their simplicity. I want that book when it comes out.
Linda — March 14, 2011
Wow, she was such a good photographer! And such a mystery - too bad that she didn't get to live to see her work appreciated!
Does she have any family who is still alive, and, if so, what do they think about her work?
This reminded me a bit of another interesting story concerning lost photographs: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dmop7EAY1Zg
(A man who found a lost film canister, developed it and searched for it's owners through the internet. The videos are beautiful and very well done.)
stef — March 14, 2011
Her mind is still alive :
http://laissezentrerlesoleil.blogspot.com/2011/03/cote-de-ses-pompes.html
http://laissezentrerlesoleil.blogspot.com/2011/02/encore-et-encore.html
http://laissezentrerlesoleil.blogspot.com/2011/02/et-ca-continue.html
Kate — March 15, 2011
I wonder how many contrasts like that there are in our cities today that we don't see. I read some of those photos of old wrinkled faces on the street as being very Depression Era. But I bet I wouldn't have to go very far in my (small, relatively wealthy) city to find someone living on the street who looked like that. And there might not be ladies in furs, but close enough...
Smithie — March 15, 2011
Why are there no photo's of wealthy men? Just snooty women...
Chicago Cultural Center « Day Trip to Chicago — March 15, 2011
[...] has been national buzz about them ever since. You can see some of the photos and commentary at Sociological Images. A blog dedicated to her work can be found [...]
Ben Zvan — March 16, 2011
I agree that she is a good photographer, but many of the photos called out as 'outstanding photography' are clearly examples of her doing her homework. The blog and all the news coverage I've seen talks about her studying the greats like Steiglitz and Arbus, and she clearly emulated them for much of what has been shown.
That being said, all photographers go through that stage and there are some images that make me think there could be some original gems hidden in all these boxes.
Sandy Sanders — March 20, 2011
For every great artist there are a hundred more who never got the work exposure, required to develop a career, due to lack of capital, simpleton intermediaries, bureaucracy, petty jealousy, capitalist mechanics, personality politics, timing, family emergencies, layoffs, lack of support, and just plain bad luck. Her gritty work seems to have avoided the spectacularity and manipulation of subjects seen in more popular artists who pumped out work as "spectacle for purchase". Her photos are as good as any urban photographer I have ever seen. Seems her life was an act of documentation of the world around her as time flowed. I can't wait to see the documentary. Cheers to you Vivian Maier!
devans00 — August 25, 2012
Wow. I could look at these photos all day. I feel like I've witnessed many of these scenes even though I'm over 50 years in the future.