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Vivian Maier Snaps Chicago

Today on Tablet, a look at bygone Jewish Chicago through the lens

by
Unknown Author
October 10, 2012

Frances Brent has a wonderful piece on the photographer Vivian Maier. whom he came to know a little bit in his youth.

Vivian was clearly restless in our world, but she lived in Highland Park for 16 years, and her camera (sometimes more than one) was always around her neck. I have two memories of her that stand out, from when I was 7 or 8 years old. The first is from a beautiful, warm afternoon and someone—maybe Vivian—had the idea to enter the gates of Ravinia Park, which wasn’t far from where we lived. I was with a group of children, and we were running like crazy. When we exhausted ourselves, we collapsed on the grass near a garden with a fountain and Vivian was at arms-length from us, looking down into her viewfinder. I remember thinking it was strange because she was very still and didn’t look up, she didn’t look up at us. At the same time, I remember being perfectly comfortable in her silence.

Some of Maier’s pictures are included. See it here.

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