PositiveThe Chicago ReaderIn alternating sections, Bannos has interwoven a rigorous biography with a discussion of the photographs Maier was always taking, the tale of how her work (and life) came to be acquired and marketed by others, and the history of photography, including the enormous impact of photojournalism in the mid-20th century. All this context is illuminating. Along the way, Bannos corrects errors that were introduced in the construction of the Vivian Maier myth—some by Maier herself, but others by those who shaped her story after her death ... A couple of quibbles: In a perfect world, this book, which includes a rather skimpy selection of photos, would contain more of the Maier images Bannos discusses. (As it is, no doubt because of access and copyright issues, what it has is extensive footnotes directing the reader to various Maier archives.) And it would have been able to shed more light on the most vexing part of the Vivian Maier story—the part where collectors bought her extraordinary work at an auction a year and a half before she died (mostly alone and impoverished), but only found her after her obituary was published.
