Vivian Dorothy Maier, an American street photographer, was born on February 1, 1926, and passed away on April 21, 2009. Despite her prolific career, Maier's work remained unknown during her lifetime, with over 150,000 photographs taken primarily in Chicago, New York City, and Los Angeles, as well as during her travels around the world.
Maier's photographs were largely unpublished and unseen, with many of her negatives left undeveloped. It wasn't until 2007 that a Chicago collector, John Maloof, acquired some of Maier's photos, followed by the discovery of additional prints and negatives by Ron Slattery and Randy Prow.
In July 2008, Slattery first published Maier's photographs online, but they received little attention. However, in October 2009, Maloof linked his blog to a selection of Maier's photographs on Flickr, and the response was overwhelming, with thousands of people expressing interest.
Following this viral sensation, Maier's work received widespread critical acclaim, and her photographs have since been exhibited globally.
