The Case that Disappeared (and Came Back)

In this special update episode of The Vanishing of Vivian Maier Podcast, host Teresa Porter shares the latest development in the ongoing legal proceedings surrounding Vivian Maier’s estate.

Originally scheduled for a pivotal Cook County probate hearing on October 15, 2025, the case has now been continued to January 15, 2026, as the court allows new documentation to be filed. This delay—mysterious yet fitting—mirrors Maier’s own life story: layered, complex, and resistant to easy definition.

Teresa explains what this continuation means for the long-running heirship dispute and why each new filing shapes the future of Maier’s archive, reputation, and rights. She also looks ahead to what listeners can expect next on the podcast:

• Why finding an heir matters when an artist dies without a will
• The difference between pre-death and posthumous actions and how they affect ownership
• What happens to an artist’s work when negatives, prints, and copyright fall into different hands
• The cost of litigation and why people settle even when they believe they’re right
• The distinction between probate cases and federal copyright disputes
• A clear, non-legal guide to photography copyright — what’s a negative, a vintage print, a posthumous print, and what each means for licensing, reproduction, and legacy

Through these conversations, The Vanishing of Vivian Maier continues to explore the intersection of art, law, and identity—revealing not only how Vivian’s photographs outlived her, but how her story continues to challenge the very idea of artistic ownership.