The “astonishing” ( People ) and definitive biography that unlocks the “riveting” ( Vogue )
story of Vivian Maier the nanny who lived secretly as a world-class photographer featuring
nearly 400 of her images many never seen before placed for the first time in the context of
her life. Vivian Maier the photographer nanny whose work was famously discovered in a
Chicago storage locker captured the imagination of the world with her masterful images and
mysterious life. Before posthumously skyrocketing to global fame she had so deeply buried her
past that even the families she lived with knew little about her. No one could relay where she
was born or raised if she had parents or siblings if she enjoyed personal relationships why
she took photographs and why she didn’t share them with others. Now in this “thorough
fascinating overview of an artist working for art’s sake” ( The New York Times ) Ann Marks
uses her complete access to Vivian’s personal records and archive of 140 000 photographs to
reveal the full story of her extraordinary life. Based on meticulous investigative research
the “compelling and richly detailed” ( Kirkus Reviews starred review) Vivian Maier Developed
reveals the story of a woman who fled from a family with a hidden history of illegitimacy
bigamy parental rejection substance abuse violence and mental illness to live life on her
own terms. Left with a limited ability to disclose feelings and form relationships she
expressed herself through photography creating a secret portfolio of pictures teeming with
emotion authenticity and humanity. With limitless resilience she knocked down every
obstacle in her way determined to improve her lot in life and that of others by tirelessly
advocating for the rights of workers women African Americans and Native Americans. No one
knew that behind the detached veneer was a profoundly intelligent empathetic and inspired
woman—a woman so creatively gifted that her body of work would become one of the greatest
photographic discoveries of the century.
