The mystery woman: Work of secretive photographer who was an enigma

Secretive life of a photographer who dubbed herself ‘the mystery woman’: Incredible photos taken by a nanny who captured more than 150,000 images but NEVER shared them before her death aged 83

  • Vivian Maier took more than 150,000 photographic images that included prints, negatives, transparencies, and rolls of undeveloped film, according to the gallery that houses her archive
  • John Maloof happened upon Maier’s negatives at an auction and when he posted the black and white photos on Flickr in 2009, they caused a sensation, and he would go on to film the documentary ‘Finding Vivian Maier’
  • Initially, her black and white images were released, but now her color photos are part of new exhibition at the Howard Greenberg Gallery and a new book, ‘Vivian Maier: The Color Work’

Vivian Maier is still an enigma.

For all the parsing of her portraits and photos, many things are still unclear about Maier – a street photographer who mostly worked as a nanny and sometime maid during her life – and why she kept thousands upon thousands of images to herself.

But what is straightforward is the compelling nature of her work with its thoughtful framing, interesting use of light and shadow, and how it pulses with an array of human emotion.

It has been nine years since Maier’s black and white images burst on the scene – she received no recognition during her lifetime. John Maloof happened upon Maier’s negatives at an auction and then posted them on Flickr, which generated tremendous interest that continues to this day.

A new exhibition – with some images on view for the first time – and book are now highlighting Maier’s color work. In the images, the hues take center stage: the fuchsia flowered hat, the large round balloons popping with shades of blues, reds and greens, the burnt orange of marigolds, coats, hats, and sweaters, and the fire-truck red of a newspaper vending box.

Vivian Maier was a street photographer, but during her lifetime she worked as a nanny and sometimes as a maid. She received no recognition for her work during her lifetime. John Maloof happened upon Maier’s negatives at an auction and when he posted them on Flickr in 2009, it generated a tremendous amount of interest that continues to this day. Most images initially released were black and white. A new exhibition and book are now focusing on Maier’s color work. Above, the eye is drawn to the ornate fuchsia flowered hat of the well-dressed woman on the right with two women standing behind her. The photo was taken in Chicago in 1962. Estate of Vivian Maier, Courtesy Maloof Collection and Howard Greenberg Gallery, New York

Cortney Norman, who manages the Vivian Maier archive at the Howard Greenberg Gallery, where the images will be on display until March 2, said that Maier made approximately 40,000 images in color during her lifetime and it was clearly a very significant part of her work. Above, the man with the grey jacket holds an explosion of color: reds and yellows and blues and light greens of large round balloons. ‘It’s just such a perfect moment that she’s able to capture both compositionally and emotionally and then just move on to her next shot,’ Norman told DailyMail.com. ‘That’s quite remarkable, I think.’ Estate of Vivian Maier, Courtesy Maloof Collection and Howard Greenberg Gallery, New York

Norman said that since Maier created so many color images, the gallery felt it ‘was important to sort of give it its own publication, its own exhibition, its own focus – separately from the black and white work. If not just for volume alone and understanding, you know, the full scope of her vision, but also there’s some really special quality work in there that we found.’ Above, the yellow and orange marigolds on the left and the brown and orange beaded purse on the right contrast against the white suit of the woman. Estate of Vivian Maier, Courtesy Maloof Collection and Howard Greenberg Gallery, New York

Maier was a street photographer and used a Rolleiflex, which is not held to the eye but rather almost at the waist. Above, she took this image in May 1958 and the vermilion of the hat and coat pops while the woman looks askance at the camera. Maier was able to work in both black and white as well as color, and Norman said photographers are usually stronger in one area or the other. Estate of Vivian Maier, Courtesy Maloof Collection and Howard Greenberg Gallery, New York

In the documentary, ‘Finding Vivian Maier,’ Maloof recounts how he stumbled upon her work. In search of photos for a history book he was working on, he went to the auction house across the street from his home and bid $380 for a box loaded with negatives.

Intrigued by what he saw, Maloof was prompted to find out more about Maier, which was no easy task. He would buy and collect many of her negatives, prints, audio recordings, and 8 mm film as well as numerous personal items. Maier, who never married or had children, was a pack rat.

Born on February 1, 1926 in New York, Maier spent time both in France and New York City throughout her childhood. She worked as a nanny and maid for numerous families – including talk show host Phil Donahue.

Maloof interviewed the families and a complicated picture of Maier emerged. Now adults, some of the children Maier took care of said she was abusive – one woman said she hit her and shoved food down her throat. But also, ‘life was more adventurous with her around,’ one subject said.

They described her as mysterious, eccentric, paradoxical, bold, and very private.

‘She would have never let this happen,’ one friend said of the documentary.

Indeed, in many of Maier’s self-portraits, part of or all of her is obscured, and, often, it is only her shadow.


  • Windy City pictures that will blow you away: Stunning black…


    The legal battle over photos by Vivian Maier: Nanny died…


    Revealed: Treasure trove of amazing pictures that were kept…

Share this article

She spoke with a French accent, which one person swore was fake, and people were surprised to learn she was born in New York City. Maier sometimes used the name, ‘Smith,’ and Maloof discovered that she used many different spellings of her last name.

During the documentary, Maier said in an audio recording, ‘I’m the mystery woman,’ and as she died on April 21, 2009 at aged 83 before her work received attention, she will remain so. 

This point was reiterated by Cortney Norman, who manages the Vivian Maier archive at the Howard Greenberg Gallery, where the images will be on display through March 2.

‘In general, with the exact context of the photographs, a lot remains, you know, a mystery,’ Norman told DailyMail.com. ‘We were able to identify locations and dates for the photographs but beyond that a lot remains unknown because we don’t have Vivian with us, obviously.’

Initially, Maloof introduced the black and white images to the gallery, which Norman explained were mostly from the 1950s and 1960s.

‘The color work kind of picks up in the ’60s and then moves through the end of Maier’s life,’ she said.

Maier started taking self-portraits early in the 1950s, making her one of its pioneer, according to Cortney Norman, who manages the Vivian Maier archive at the Howard Greenberg Gallery. Often, there are reflections, like the one above, and layering in the self-portraits, but there are others that are straight on and direct, she said. Above, it seems as if the lines of dotted light envelope Maier in her beige hat with orange band, blue patterned black top and skirt. This image was taken in Chicago in August 1976. Estate of Vivian Maier, Courtesy Maloof Collection and Howard Greenberg Gallery, New York

Maier used a Rolleiflex and a 35-millimeter camera, and took more than 150,000 photographic images that included prints, negatives, transparencies, and rolls of undeveloped film during her lifetime, which spanned from February 1, 1926 to April 21, 2009. Her color photos are now part of a new exhibition and book called, ‘Vivian Maier: The Color Work.’ Above, the tanned backs of the elderly couple – the man on the left in dark blue shorts and the woman on the right in an orange suit – contrast with the white wall as they spy into the crossed-shaped holes into a swimming pool. This image was taken in 1960. Estate of Vivian Maier, Courtesy Maloof Collection and Howard Greenberg Gallery, New York

John Maloof happened upon Maier’s negatives at an auction and when he posted them on Flickr in 2009, her black and white photos stirred a sensation. Norman, from the Howard Greenberg Gallery, explained that the black and white images were mostly from the 1950s and 1960s. ‘The color work kind of picks up in the ’60s and then moves through the end of Maier’s life,’ she told DailyMail.com. Norman said the above image, taken in Chicago, is a good example of where Maier created ‘a very strong composition within the frame.’ The woman’s persimmon-colored sweater seems to match the color of the words on the poster behind her. Estate of Vivian Maier, Courtesy Maloof Collection and Howard Greenberg Gallery, New York

Colin Westerbeck, in a new book about the color images, ‘Vivian Maier: The Color Work,’ wrote about the above image, taken in New York City, 1959: ‘On the curb across the street, waiting in rank formation for the light to change, is a group of white businessmen, while right in front of us, out on the edges of the frame and out of focus, are two young African American women. The blurry, marginalized place these women have in the photograph is an acute commentary on the place black people have had in American society.’ Estate of Vivian Maier, Courtesy Maloof Collection and Howard Greenberg Gallery, New York

After getting a box of her negatives, John Maloof was intrigued by Maier and tried to discover more about her. He chronicled that journey in the documentary ‘Finding Vivian Maier.’ Maloof spoke with families that Maier worked for either as a nanny or a maid, and they used words like eccentric, paradoxical, bold, and private to describe her. Above, the grey skirt and bright red short heel on the right contrast the white, wrapped-up leg on the left. Estate of Vivian Maier, Courtesy Maloof Collection and Howard Greenberg Gallery, New York

Maier created approximately 40,000 images in color during her lifetime and it was clearly a very significant part of her work, Norman said.

‘So we felt it was important to sort of give it its own publication, its own exhibition, its own focus – separately from the black and white work,’ she said.

‘If not just for volume alone and understanding, you know, the full scope of her vision, but also there’s some really special quality work in there that we found.’

The images are also part of a recently released book, ‘Vivian Maier: The Color Work,’ published by HarperCollins, and with text by Colin Westerbeck and a forward by photographer Joel Meyerowitz.

Maier photographed many different subjects that included children, department-store mannequins, and, often, herself. There is a playfulness and humor at times in her images that are often filled with shadows, mirrors and reflections.

Norman said that Maier started making self-portraits early in the 1950s, making her one of its pioneer.

‘We feel that they’re very strong,’ she said. ‘You get more of a sense of her thinking and her placement in her environment.’

‘Oftentimes reflection and some layering between her and, you know, of how much of herself is shown in the image, but there are others that surfaced where it’s more sort of straight on, direct.’

One of the self-portraits in the series shows a clear plastic bag on the sidewalk. Inside the bag is a square piece of white paper that states ‘Here’s a real eye opener,’ and Maier’s shadow takes up the bottom right part of the image.

‘That’s also another theme that carries out through her work – documenting signage or graffiti or that sort of the thing on the street that kind of adds an element of, I think, her sense of humor and commentary,’ Norman said.

Maier was able to work in both black and white as well as color, and Norman said photographers are usually stronger in one area or the other.

‘She definitely had a strong eye for color in the environment and placing it within the frame compositionally,’ said Norman, adding that the images in the show have not been cropped or altered.

In the documentary, it is noted that many of the negatives that are developed into prints are ones that Maier had not seen herself. Maier used a Rolleiflex and a 35-millimeter camera, and had taken more than 150,000 photographic images that included prints, negatives, transparencies, and rolls of undeveloped film, according to the news release for the exhibition.

‘For a large percentage, a majority of her work, it was left even undeveloped. It was more for her about the – we think anyway – about the process of shooting, the process of capturing the images, less about the sort of post-production, print process,’ Norman explained.

However, there are some negatives that Maier chose to have prints made of, some of which are in the show. Existing prints made during Maier’s lifetime are quite rare, according to Norman.

Maier did not approach the same subject several times, Norman said, but would ‘confidently make the image, see it all in an instant.’

One of the images, for example, is a man in a grey jacket who holds an explosion of color: reds and yellows and blues and light greens of large round balloons.

‘It’s just such a perfect moment that she’s able to capture both compositionally and emotionally and then just move on to her next shot,’ she said.

‘That’s quite remarkable, I think.’    

Maier photographed many different subjects that included children, department-store mannequins, and, often, herself. There is a playfulness and humor at times in her images that are often filled with shadows, mirrors and reflections. Cortney Norman, who manages the Vivian Maier archive at the Howard Greenberg Gallery, told DailyMail.com: ‘We feel that they’re very strong. You get more of a sense of her thinking and her placement in her environment.’ Above, a self-portrait taken in Chicago in February 1976 where it seem as if there is a reflection upon reflection of Maier in a shop window. Also seen in the reflection is a car going pass and the buildings of the city. Estate of Vivian Maier, Courtesy Maloof Collection and Howard Greenberg Gallery, New York

In what feels almost like a classical painting, the above photo shows the worn wood of the shop, which frames an older man, his face bent down, wearing a black hat and a white neck brace. The red letters on his white apron are picked up in the newspaper box in the right foreground. The Chicago Tribune and the Sun-Times are visible on the left, and the image was taken in Chicago in October 1976. Estate of Vivian Maier, Courtesy Maloof Collection and Howard Greenberg Gallery, New York

Above, one of the self-portraits, taken in Chicago in 1976, in the series that shows a clear plastic bag on the sidewalk. Inside the bag is a square piece of white paper that states ‘Here’s a real eye opener,’ and Maier’s shadow takes up the right part of the image. ‘That’s also another theme that carries out through her work – documenting signage or graffiti or that sort of the thing on the street that kind of adds an element of, I think, her sense of humor and commentary,’ Norman, of the Howard Greenberg Gallery, said. Estate of Vivian Maier, Courtesy Maloof Collection and Howard Greenberg Gallery, New York

In many of Maier’s self-portraits, part of – like the above image taken in Chicago in 1975 – or all of her is obscured. Families that Maier worked for described her as ‘very private.’ During the documentary about her, Maier said in an audio recording, ‘I’m the mystery woman.’ ‘In general, with the exact context of the photographs, a lot remains, you know, a mystery,’ Norman told DailyMail.com. ‘We were able to identify locations and dates for the photographs but beyond that a lot remains unknown because we don’t have Vivian with us, obviously.’ Estate of Vivian Maier, Courtesy Maloof Collection and Howard Greenberg Gallery, New York

Maier did not approach the same subject several times, Norman explained, but would ‘confidently make the image, see it all in an instant.’ Above, this image Maier took in Chicago in 1972 speaks to how she framed a photo: the focal point is the intertwined hands of the couple while the blue and white of her sleeveless dress matches the striped blue of her sweetheart’s shirt. Estate of Vivian Maier, Courtesy Maloof Collection and Howard Greenberg Gallery, New York

Source: Read Full Article