Vivian Maier- Nanny/Photographer Extraordinaire

Photo credit:www.vivianmaier.blogspot.com

The world has recently discovered a the extraordinary photographs of Vivian Maier.  Maier was a nanny to  a Chicago family for 17 years whose now-grown children remember her as a Mary Poppins-type figure who delighted them with her French accent and wild adventurous outings. Somewhat of a private and solitary person, she spent her days off walking the streets with her camera - B&W, real film!! - capturing vivid street scenes with amazing framing, beautiful context, a wonderful story in every shot.

Once discovered - a bunch of negatives in an old box bought at a sale of an abandoned storage unit, set aside, and finally scanned and shared on Flickr two years later - the buzz of the find went viral.

Looking into  the identity of the photographer, it was learned that she had died two years earlier in 2007 in a nursing home.  Little is known of her life, except that she was born in New York, spent part of her childhood in France, and served as a nanny for a Chicago family, none of whom remember her ever making or receiving personal phone calls.

Photo credit: www.vivianmaier.blogspot.com

While her work is compared to famous photographers, Walker Evans and Robert Frank, it reminds me of a photographic version of Edward Hopper.  Here's a slideshow.  Enjoy!

(Thanks to DMcD for the story link)