Vivian Maier: Out of the Shadows

Chicago: Cityfiles Press, 2012. First edition. Hardcover. Fine. 287 pp. Square octavo. [24 cm]. Black paper over boards with author's name stamped in silver on front cover, and title stamped in silver on spine. Original dust jacket is in fine condition save some creasing to edges. Vivian Maier is the private enigma of the 20th century. Working with medium format film, more than 100,000 undeveloped negatives were found in 2007 shortly before her death after she was forced to forfeit a storage space due to missed payments. Her street photography exemplifies her prowess in capturing "the decisive moment"-- the faces in her portraiture are painted with the effusive gratitude of being truly seen. A working class woman who was employed as a factory worker and nanny, she never revealed her body of work: she shot photos for her own joy.