John Maloof

The discovery of the work of Vivian Maier took the photographic world rather by surprise, surprise that soon turned to storm. She has variously been claimed by street photographers, validating their art; by historians, who revel in these images from the 1950s and `60s; and feminists, who acclaim her work whilst debating her outward status as a woman in a traditional caring role.

Matters are complicated by the woman herself; a loner who carried out her art almost in seclusion. The photographs show more could easily have been lost without anyone being any the wiser; their rescue, two years before she died, is little short of a miracle. Sadly, John Maloof, the discoverer and rescuer of her work, was unable to track her down before she died.

Of course, the discovery of a body of work like this has caused controversy. Critics and commentators have fallen over themselves to compare her work with others' (especially Diane Arbus) and find similarities, sparking off debate over whether Maier really did work in seclusion all those years, without contact with or influence from other photographers. It is debatable whether a man could have taken these photographs: many of them are quite intimate, and makes me wonder whether a man trying to take similar pictures might have been interpreted as acting aggressively. Maier's choice of camera, a Rolleiflex twin-lens reflex, might also have helped, looking sufficiently old-fashioned to the average person so as not to constitute a threat.

This book merely scratches the surface of the volume of her work - Maloof now has access to over 100,000 negatives, and he also acquired hundreds of reels of undeveloped film, as well as 8mm movie footage. Some of the photographs are fascinating glimpses into other lives of people who have left even less mark on the world than Maier did; others are fascinating views of scenes long gone; still others are interesting or intriguing exercises in pattern, shape and form. Only a few of the photographs in this book have been widely seen before.

There's another fascinating facet to Maier's photography; just as she seems to have worked in a vacuum, insulated from other professional photographers, so the fact of her recent discovery means that other photographers worked in ignorance of her work. I was struck again and again in looking through this book of the similarity between her work and the city sequences in Godfrey Reggio's acclaimed documentary film Koyaanisqatsi, made in the late 1970s. My mind's ear kept inserting the soundtrack from Koyaanisqatsi as I viewed certain street scenes, or Maier's pictures of building sites, building demolitions and street people.

In short: an important book of important photographs by an important photographer. show less

Amazing. The 100 or so photos in this collection are but a tiny fraction of the 100,000 negatives discovered so far. Was she consistently this good, or are these the one-tenth of one percent best? I don't think it matters; to have taken even 100 good photos in a lifetime is an achievement. Another GR reviewer called her the Emily Dickinson of photography, I think that is apt; as far as is known, she never showed her work to others. Her work has all the ingredients of great street show more photography: an eye for composition, a sense of the moment, and a recognition of some of the absurd juxtapositions that street life offers but that many of us fail to notice. I could have done with fewer of the clichéd alcoholics in a doorway, but that's a minor quibble. Very glad to have become aware of her work. show less

There were two other books about this woman and her photography in which I had more interest but this was the only book for borrowing that my library offers.

I was a young girl during the time she took her photographs in Chicago and NYC and at times we were both in both places. I was too young to remember my time in Chicago and but I remember NYC well. Even though it was highly unlikely to find photos of people I would recognize included in this book, I unsuccessfully looked for them.

I wish show more that there was more to this book. Maier was a talented photographer and many of the images she captured were striking, important, artistic. I wanted to see more of them. I am glad that her work was found and its importance was recognized.

I did find many of the photographs in this book depressing and distressing. I thought that all the photos would be candid but many of them seemed posed.

I’m glad that I read this and I’d like to read more about Maier and see all of her work, but I did not enjoy this book as much as I thought I would. I think seeing these images hanging in a museum vs. seeing them on book pages would be more gratifying for me. show less

Simply stated, she is the best street photographer of all time. This is some, but not nearly all, of her best work. High-quality book with a nice array of photos.