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Vivian Maier — Chicago 1959
Vivian Maier — Chicago 1959
Vivian Maier — Chicago 1959
Vivian Maier — Chicago 1959
Vivian Maier

Chicago 1959

In the late 1950s, Vivian Maier roamed the streets of Chicago with a Rolleiflex camera and an eye for the quietly extraordinary within the everyday. This 1959 image, printed in 2018 as a chromogenic print measuring 10 by 15 inches on a larger 16 by 20 inch sheet, belongs to a posthumously authorized edition of fifteen, numbered eleven and bearing the collection stamp signed by John Maloof. The work carries all the hallmarks of Maier's mature street practice: an acute sensitivity to light and shadow, an instinctive compositional intelligence, and a persistent fascination with the overlooked textures of urban life in mid-century America. Maier worked for decades in near-total anonymity, employed as a nanny while producing a body of work that would not surface until after her death in 2009, lending each surviving print an almost uncanny biographical weight. The print comes from the Martin and Lynn Halbfinger Collection, a carefully assembled holding that reflects sustained and discerning engagement with the history of photography. Works from this collection represent not only personal taste but also a rigorous attention to rarity and provenance, qualities that align well with Maier's particular market position. Because she never printed the vast majority of her negatives herself, authorized posthumous editions like this one constitute the primary means by which collectors can acquire her work in physical form. Edition eleven of fifteen in chromogenic color is a relatively scarce format within the Maier market, where gelatin silver prints predominate, making this Chicago image a meaningful opportunity for collectors drawn to her practice in its full chromatic dimension.

🔨 Auction Lot

Photographs

June 10, 2026

Estimate: $4,000 to $6,000

Lot 44

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About this work

Vivian Maier, Chicago 1959

In the late 1950s, Vivian Maier roamed the streets of Chicago with a Rolleiflex camera and an eye for the quietly extraordinary within the everyday. This 1959 image, printed in 2018 as a chromogenic print measuring 10 by 15 inches on a larger 16 by 20 inch sheet, belongs to a posthumously authorized edition of fifteen, numbered eleven and bearing the collection stamp signed by John Maloof. The work carries all the hallmarks of Maier's mature street practice: an acute sensitivity to light and shadow, an instinctive compositional intelligence, and a persistent fascination with the overlooked textures of urban life in mid-century America. Maier worked for decades in near-total anonymity, employed as a nanny while producing a body of work that would not surface until after her death in 2009, lending each surviving print an almost uncanny biographical weight. The print comes from the Martin and Lynn Halbfinger Collection, a carefully assembled holding that reflects sustained and discerning engagement with the history of photography. Works from this collection represent not only personal taste but also a rigorous attention to rarity and provenance, qualities that align well with Maier's particular market position. Because she never printed the vast majority of her negatives herself, authorized posthumous editions like this one constitute the primary means by which collectors can acquire her work in physical form. Edition eleven of fifteen in chromogenic color is a relatively scarce format within the Maier market, where gelatin silver prints predominate, making this Chicago image a meaningful opportunity for collectors drawn to her practice in its full chromatic dimension.

Seen at
Doyle, New York, United States

Related themes

Monochrome, Chicago, Photography, 20th Century, Humanist Photography, Documentary, American, Identity, Modernist, Mid Century, Anonymity, Black And White, Chromogenic Print, Urban, Limited Edition, Portrait, Everyday Life, Posthumous Print, Social Documentary, Female Artist, Street Photography, Candid Photography