The Russian Vivian Maier

limr · Mar 13, 2018

Just based on the photos in this article, I find Maier's work more compelling, but these are still interesting.

https://petapixel.com/2018/03/12/russian-vivian-maier-discovered-30000-photos-found-attic/

espresso2x · Mar 13, 2018

Very good!

tirediron · Mar 13, 2018

The parallels are amazing; in fact there's a certain physical resemblance as well.

Designer · Mar 14, 2018

Asya's website:

Masha Ivashintsova Photography

Gary A. · Mar 14, 2018

Wow, a true windfall of history and photography.

terri · Mar 14, 2018

Good stuff. :thumbyo:

Derrel · Mar 14, 2018

Pretty cool to see the labors of a long-undiscovered shooter. I'd love to see more images, especially since photos from the USSR during her lifetime were few and far between, and were mostly censored or officially "approved" by the regime. I recall reading a 1970's-era article in Popular or Modern photography magazine, dealing with what it was like to be a Soviet-era photographer. Gear from Japan was rare, and expensive. A lot of Soviet-made stuff was the norm. Unlike V.M. who had both a Leica and a Rolleiflex, I suspect this lady had a Zorki or Zenit or some other communist-era imitation of a Leica or Contax. Anyway...way cool to see this! Hopefully more of her photographic work is forthcoming.

cgw · Mar 15, 2018

limr said:
Just based on the photos in this article, I find Maier's work more compelling, but these are still interesting.

https://petapixel.com/2018/03/12/russian-vivian-maier-discovered-30000-photos-found-attic/

Agree. The photos are mostly snapshots, albeit good ones often and highly personal. Her story isn't totally unusual for the late Brezhnev era. Thousands of political prisoners of all stripes were in jail and mental institutions by the mid-70s. Russian students I met in Toronto around that time were intent on never returning. Many managed to stay in Canada.

webestang64 · Mar 26, 2018

Nice shots but IMO they do not come close to Vivian's.

I wondered how long it would take for another "Vivian" to emerge and I have a feeling we will see more and more of them as the years past.

Maybe 50 or 100 years from now somebody will dig up my 1000's of negs and I'll be "The lost photographer of St. Louis".

Dave442 · Mar 26, 2018

Some interesting images, although I tend to like this type of material. I hope they do a good job of curating the 30,000 images and establish a traveling exhibition.

From the website:
Which camera did Masha use?
Most of the photos were taken with a Leica IIIc and a Rolleiflex.
Svema film.