Wow to the photography but also to the unique state of mind she must have been in while shooting her whole life. Whether it's for clients, family, or Flickr, most people shoot knowing (hoping?) people will see their work. Of course for clients it has a big influence. But it must have some influence even for hobbyists, encouraging the production of images we hope others will enjoy and comment on, or buy. Sure she saved the film, but so much wasn't even developed and even seen by the photographer herself.
What's it like to shoot thinking that not even you may see the result? Being in the moment of taking the image is the main reward. I hope I can utilize that frame of mind when I shoot.
Very cool! I wonder though, the guy bought the negatives, and he has a right to display them as "editorial", but once he puts out a book, doesn't it become commercial and thus require photo releases? Just curious.
A friend of mine just posted the same link about Maier's story to my facebook page. So I came to FM to see if someone had posted this. Glad you did. It's inspiring to this body of work coming from a one-day-a-week photographer; working the other six as a nanny. The young guy that found her work is doing a good job archiving and promoting her work. I hope she gets the recognition she deserves. Goosebumps.