Vivian Maier

Stories of newly discovered paintings by masters such as Leonardo da Vinci, Rembrandt van Rijn or Vincent van Gogh make interesting news. Mostly because the world as we know it has been shaken just a bit, and seems momentarily full of possibility. I like that. Sometimes, a discovery is made that isn't newsworthy; there's no big name, no auction results, no glamour, but it still has every bit of the magic of finding treasure. I like that even more.

Chicagoan John Maloof purchased a large group of negatives at a furniture and antique auction. Sorting through them (there are thousands), he realized the images were remarkable. After considerable research, he learned that the photographer was named Vivian Maier (1926-2009), who had immigrated to the USA from France and worked as a nanny. Her informal street photographs were taken with a Rolleiflex camera. Described as 'intensely private' by the now-grown children she once cared for, she never showed her photographs to anyone.

The immediacy of her images; her fascination with light, the gracefulness of street vendors, the mix of old and new that describes a city, all of it is just beautiful. John Maloof joined a FlickR group and created a blog dedicated to Maier's photographs (well worth a visit!). Hopefully, Maloof will soon share his treasure in a comprehensive book.