Warning!  If you have any attraction to street photography, prepare to be mesmerized by the work of Vivian Maier.

I love street photography.  The work of Henri Cartier-Bresson is a prime example of the genius of photojournalism and street photography.  Something about the life, action – the buzz – of street photography is just so mysterious, exciting and inspiring.  Combine this buzz of activity with the mid-20th century modernism of Chicago and the story of a quiet nanny, and one of those rare occasions of photographic serendipity occurs.  Who was Vivian Maier?  What was her training?  Where did she develop such an eye for capturing life?

These are some of the many questions still to be answered about Maier.  Born in the late 1920s and working as a nanny up into the late 20th Century, Maier was a quiet lady, known by some of the children she kept as a double for Mary Poppins and by some adults as a strong willed woman, Maier carried a camera with her everywhere she went on her days off.  Taking over 100,000 photographs by some estimates, her work was destined to remain in hiding until discovered by a Chicago real estate agent in an abandoned storage unit auction.  What was discovered by John Maloof in that auction is creating a tremendous buzz in the museum and photograph community. 

I've only just discovered these photographs, and I am mesmerized by them.

Included below is story from Chicago Tonight.  It is well worth viewing, highlighting some of Maier's work, as well as providing some background information on Maier and Maloof.

Fascinating.

Special thanks to APhotoEditor.com for sharing these links.  I recommend visiting their site to see more information on Maier.