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Health & Fitness

Jenny Riddle Portrays Mysterious Photographer Vivian Maier

We love a good story told in an enchanting way. Especially a true story.

Jenny Riddle captivated her audience at Prairie Path Books in Wheaton Thursday afternoon with her portrayal of Vivian Maier, the mysterious street photographer made famous only after her death.

In the 1960s, when she wasn't caring for children as their nanny, the introverted Maier walked the gritty streets of Chicago, snapping photos of everyday folks then hiding the photos away in boxes. Her massive volume of work was discovered at an auction house in Chicago in 2007.

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Riddle, in old-fashioned attire and with an antique box camera around her neck, took on Maier's character and gave a first-person account of what it was like raising children, using photography to document the events of her day, both large and small, and all the while keeping fiercely private.

Riddle based her interpretation on the book, "Vivian Maier: Out of the Shadows" by Richard Cahan and Michael Williams.

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Audience members were rapt.

"I loved it," said Sue Ciezki of Wheaton. "I had just seen the Vivian Maier exhibition at the library, and it was nice to hear the background."

Wanda Watson of Wheaton is no stranger to Riddle's work.

"This is the third time I've seen Jenny," she said. "She's always articulate, she's always engaging, extremely talented. I thought this one was a 10-plus."

Riddle is a regular performer at Prairie Path Books. Her next show will be "Come to the Cabaret," at  7 p.m. April 25. Riddle will perform an elegant evening of story and song. 

"What they're doing is exciting," Watson said of Prairie Path Books' events. "I think it's good for the town."

Prairie Path Books is located inside Toms-Price Home Furnishings, 303 Front St., Wheaton. For more information on Prairie Path Books events, click here

For more information about Jenny Riddle and her upcoming events, visit her webpage.

And, don't forget to like Prairie Path Books on Facebook and follow us on Twitter

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