On Tuesday, April 16, the Chicago History Museum hosts The Reinvention of Vivian Maier, an exploration of the evolving story surrounding the prolific late photographer. Investigative Artist Pamela Bannos will examine the prominent role technology and social media has played in the emergence of Maier's work and shifting accounts of her biography, which has led to the public's mounting interest in "Viral Vivian."

This talk is based on Bannos' project, Vivian Maier's Fractured Archive, which began after she appeared in two WTTW programs and was then granted access to 20,000 Vivian Maier images. Those unedited images revealed that there are more ways of seeing the woman and her work than have been packaged and published so far.

Maier's work was discovered in 2007 when a storage locker with her prints, undeveloped film, and negatives was auctioned. After her prints were posted online, Maier began to garner critical praise for her snapshots of everyday faces on the street. In this cultural moment, amidst the growing romanticism with street photography and the immediacy of the internet, Maier catapulted into popularity, which has created a unique phenomenon - and plethora of fictional stories.

Bannos, an artist and Distinguished Senior Lecturer in the Department of Art Theory & Practice at Northwestern University, has appeared on Chicago public programs Searching for Vivian Maier and The Meteoric Rise of Vivian Maier during the course of her research. Her project, Vivian Maier's Fractured Archive investigates the evolving story and work, and online rise to fame, of Maier.

The Reinvention of Vivian Maier will begin on April 16, 2013 at the Chicago History Museum with a reception at 6 PM and the program at 7 PM.