Vivian Maier was a nanny that lived a secret life as a photographer in the 1950s, artistically capturing scenes of the life and times from the streets of Chicago and New York. It was not until she died at 83-years-old, in 2009, that her street photographs began to see acclaim and appreciation. However, a possible heir of Maier has surfaced and the ensuing legal battle has put the sale and display of her work on hold. The current owners of negatives and prints of her work may have to wait years to find out if they can continue selling and promoting Maier’s art.
See Randy Kennedy, The Heir’s Not Apparent: A Legal Battle Over Vivian Maier’s Work, The New York Times, Sept. 5, 2014.
Special thanks to Joel Dobris (Professor of Law, UC Davis School of Law) for bringing this article to my attention.
