I hope everyone enjoyed their Christmas holiday. And hey, just because Christmas is over, doesn’t mean there aren’t more gifts to be given! We’ve still got 2 days of giveaways left here at Mortal Muses.

By now I am certain you’ve all heard of Vivian Maier. Shortly after her work was discovered in 2007 she became an instant phenomenon in the photography world–most known for her self-portraits and street photos taken in New York City and Chicago in the 1950s-90s with her ever-present Rolleiflex. Vivian was intensely private about her work and left behind a collection of over 100,000 images (negatives, undeveloped film and photos) unbeknownst to her friends and family until they were found and purchased at an auction house in Chicago.

On Christmas I am reminded how just a year ago my sweet husband surprised me by purchasing a limited edition print of one of Vivian’s self-portraits as a gift. I was overwhelmed and so excited to become the owner of this amazing piece of art! It now hangs proudly on the wall above our television and as I look at it every day I wonder what kind of person she was like, why she kept her work so secretive, and how she would feel about this posthumous surge of instant fame?

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If you are a fan of Vivian’s work or want to learn more about her, the documentary Finding Vivian Maier is coming to theaters in March of 2014. Check out this link for a glimpse at the film trailer and news about the film’s release. And if you are in NYC there is an exhibit of Vivian’s self-portraits at the Howard Greenberg Gallery until January 4. (I haven’t made it there yet but I am going to try next week!)

Today’s giveaway is a copy of Vivian Maier: Street Photographer. It is a lovely book edited by John Maloof and a must for any photography book collection. Simply comment on this post for your chance to win (one comment per post, please). 

It’s not too late to enter any of our holiday giveaways so be sure to check out the other Muses’ posts from the last 10 days or so. All winners will be announced on December 29th.

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Enjoy the rest of your week!

~Christy | Urban Muser