The Estate of Vivian Maier and John Maloof reach final agreement

June 15, 2016

The Estate of Vivian Maier and John Maloof of the Maloof Collection are pleased to announce that they have reached an amicable confidential agreement regarding the Maloof Collection’s promotion and sale of Vivian Maier works.

The agreement was approved on May 26 by Judge Mary Ellen Coghlan in the Circuit Court of Cook County.

Vivian Maier (1926–2009) was a prolific amateur photographer whose work was unknown and unpublished during her lifetime, but who has since found international critical acclaim as one of the premier American street photographers of the 20th Century.

John Maloof is a Chicago historian who uncovered the previously unknown works of Vivian Maier. Mr. Maloof also co-wrote, co-directed, and co-produced the motion picture Finding Vivian Maier, which was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature at the 87th Academy Awards.

The Estate of Vivian Maier, which is being administered by the Public Administrator of Cook County David A. Epstein, was represented by Marshall Gerstein Partner and Chair, Trademarks and Copyrights Gregory J. Chinlund as well as Colleen Chinlund of Arnstein & Lehr LLP.

The agreement between the Estate of Vivian Maier and Mr. Maloof establishes a cooperative structure that allows Mr. Maloof to continue to bring Ms. Maier’s extraordinary photography to light while preserving her legacy.

Mr. Maloof released the following statement: “This was an important process that needed to take place for the future of Maier's work and the estate. We look forward to working with the estate and discovering more of this important artist's archive to share with the public.”

Mr. Epstein released the following statement: “We are very pleased to have reached a long-term agreement with Mr. Maloof that will benefit the Estate, its heirs, and Vivian Maier’s wonderful photographic legacy for many years to come. Mr. Maloof deserves great credit for discovering and sharing Ms. Maier’s works and has made a long-term commitment to preserve and promote her still-undeveloped photographs. This is a very big step toward securing the Maier works and copyrights.”

The Maloof Collection will continue to work with the Howard Greenberg Gallery in New York in connection with the exhibition and sale of Vivian Maier prints.

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