Suit Alleges Artist Illegally Profited off Vivian Maier’s World-famous Photos

Vivian Maier worked for most of her life as a nanny to affluent families in Chicago’s northern suburbs. As she took care of children, running them around on errands and shopping excursions, she passed some of her time by photographing the day-to-day Chicago street life. Over the years, Maier accumulated over 150,000 negatives and prints. Despite her obvious affinity for photography, she rarely viewed her own work or showed it to others. When she passed away at age 83, a locker was discovered with a massive cache of her prints, negatives, home movies, letters, and newspaper clippings. Because Maier had no will and no heirs, the locker was auctioned off to willing buyers. When these buyers examined her work, they recognized the incredible quality contained within.

The ensuing popularity of Maier’s works led to inevitable court battles, as the appointed administrator of her estate attempted to reclaim the previously sold works. While some original buyers have made deals with the county, Jeffrey Goldstein has adamantly refused to acquiesce. In the midst of negotiating with the public administrator, Goldstein suddenly sold his remaining Maier negatives to an art dealer in Canada. He was quoted as saying that he would “rather cut my wrists” than work with county officials. Goldstein’s part in this saga is far from over, as he is currently being sued in federal court for copyright infringement.

See Jason Meisner, Suit Alleges Artist Illegally Profited off Vivian Maier’s World-famous Photos, Chicago Tribune, May 1, 2017.

Special thanks to Victor Salas for bringing this article to my attention.