Ronald M
Veteran
It was on Chicago Tonight, a local PBS station, last night. It seems a man bought some of the contents of a storage locker at auction for unpaid fees.
There was a storage tub of negatives which he started to scan and put up on a blog. He started to get responses from all over the world from people who wanted to buy them or host exhibitions. He contacted the other bidders and bought their items from them also and now possesses 100.000 negatives. One of the plastic tubs had her name on an receipt was the only clue the the photographers identity.
She was Vivian Meyer and I can not vouch for correct spelling. She was born in europe and came to USA and worked as a nanny on the north side of Chicago from 1950 to 1990. Her last family was found and interviewed and they said her practice was to take her camera on her day off and take photos. Her room was stacked with containers and they never knew what was in them. Hence the storage locker. She never showed the photos to anybody.
The purchaser is still in the process of scanning the negs, processing the unprocessed film, and archiving the negs. He figures he will be at it for several years.
The first exhibition will be at the Chicago Cultural Center, Michigan Ave and Randolph, from Jan 2 to April ? I know I will making a special trip.
It was an amazing story and I wish I could convey the thrill I experienced seeing this on television.
There was a storage tub of negatives which he started to scan and put up on a blog. He started to get responses from all over the world from people who wanted to buy them or host exhibitions. He contacted the other bidders and bought their items from them also and now possesses 100.000 negatives. One of the plastic tubs had her name on an receipt was the only clue the the photographers identity.
She was Vivian Meyer and I can not vouch for correct spelling. She was born in europe and came to USA and worked as a nanny on the north side of Chicago from 1950 to 1990. Her last family was found and interviewed and they said her practice was to take her camera on her day off and take photos. Her room was stacked with containers and they never knew what was in them. Hence the storage locker. She never showed the photos to anybody.
The purchaser is still in the process of scanning the negs, processing the unprocessed film, and archiving the negs. He figures he will be at it for several years.
The first exhibition will be at the Chicago Cultural Center, Michigan Ave and Randolph, from Jan 2 to April ? I know I will making a special trip.
It was an amazing story and I wish I could convey the thrill I experienced seeing this on television.