Vivian Maier: Street Photographer Book Value Guide

This seminal 2011 monograph introduced the world to Vivian Maier, a reclusive Chicago nanny whose secret archive of 100,000 negatives was discovered at a 2007 storage auction. It is a cornerstone for collectors of 20th-century street photography, documenting her evocative black-and-white captures of mid-century urban life.

What Is Vivian Maier: Street Photographer Book Worth?

The typical price range for Vivian Maier: Street Photographer Book is $40 - $40 based on recent sales. However, values can vary depending on the item's condition, rarity, and other factors such as:

• Condition of the dust jacket, as tears or heavy scuffing significantly reduce the $40 market value.
• Edition number, with first printings generally holding more interest for bibliophiles than later reprints.
• Overall binding tightness and the absence of yellowing or 'foxing' on the interior ink and paper.
• Provenance or inclusion of exhibition ephemera from early posthumous Maier gallery shows.

How to Identify Vivian Maier: Street Photographer Book?

• Verify the publisher is powerHouse Books, the original house for this 2011 debut edition.
• Check for the distinctive black and white cover featuring a self-portrait or street scene typical of Maier's Rolleiflex style.
• Ensure the presence of the introduction by Geoff Dyer and editing by John Maloof, the man who discovered the negatives.
• Confirm the book's origin as the United States, printed on high-quality heavyweight paper stock.

History of Vivian Maier: Street Photographer Book

Vivian Maier was a professional nanny who secretly pursued street photography for over 50 years. Her extensive body of work, comprising over 100,000 negatives, was discovered posthumously in 2007 at a local auction in Chicago. Her evocative black and white photographs of everyday life, primarily in Chicago and New York, have since gained international acclaim, establishing her as one of the most important street photographers of the 20th century.