Yesterday I came across a slightly mysterious website — a collection of Polaroids, one per day, from March 31, 1979 through October 25, 1997. There’s no author listed, no contact info, and no other indication as to where these came from. So, naturally, I started looking through the photos. I was stunned by what I found.
In 1979 the photos start casually, with pictures of friends, picnics, dinners, and so on. Here’s an example from April 23, 1979 (I believe the photographer of the series is the man in the left foreground in this picture):
By 1980, we start to figure out that the photographer is a filmmaker. He gets a letter from the American Film Festival and takes a photo on January 30, 1980:
Some days he doesn’t photograph anything interesting, so instead takes a photo of the date. Update: this was an incorrect guess; see the bottom of this post for more info on these date-only pictures.
Throughout the 1980s we see more family/fun photos, but also some glimpses of the photographer’s filmmaking and music. Here’s someone recording audio in a film editing studio from February 5, 1983:
The photographer is a big Mets fan. Here’s a shot of him and a friend with Mets tickets on April 29, 1986:
In the late 1980s we start seeing more evidence that the photographer is also a musician. He plays the accordion, and has friends who play various stringed instruments. What kind of music are they playing? Here’s a photo from July 2, 1989 of the photographer with his instrument:
In 1991, we see visual evidence of the photographs so far. The photographer has been collecting them in Polaroid boxes inside suitcases, as seen in this photo from March 30, 1991:
On December 6, 1993, he marks Frank Zappa’s death with this photo:
The 1990s seem to be a good time for the photographer. We see him spending more time with friends, and less time photographing street subjects (of which there are many — I just didn’t include them above). Perhaps one of his films made it to IFC, the Independent Film Channel, as seen in this photo from December 18, 1996:
Throughout early 1997, we start to see the photographer himself more and more often. Sometimes his face is obscured behind objects. Other times he’s passed out on the couch. When he’s shown with people, he isn’t smiling. On May 2 1997, something bad has happened:
By May 4, 1997, it’s clear that he has cancer:
His health rapidly declining, the photographer takes a mirror-self-portrait on June 2, 1997:
By the end of that month, he’s completely bald:
His health continues to decline through July, August, and September 1997, with several trips to the hospital and apparent chemotherapy. On the bright side, on September 11, 1997, the photographer’s hair starts to grow back:
On October 5, 1997, it’s pretty clear what this picture means:
Two days later we see the wedding:
And just a few weeks later he’s back in the hospital. On October 24, 1997, we see a friend playing music in the hospital room:
The next day the photographer dies.
What started for me as an amusing collection of photos — who takes photos every day for eighteen years? — ended with a shock. Who was this man? How did his photos end up on the web? I went on a two-day hunt, examined the source code of the website, and tried various Google tricks.
Finally my investigation turned up the photographer as Jamie Livingston, and he did indeed take a photo every day for eighteen years, until the day he died, using a Polaroid SX-70 camera. He called the project “Photo of the Day” and presumably planned to collect them at some point — had he lived. He died on October 25, 1997 — his 41st birthday.
After Livingston’s death, his friends Hugh Crawford and Betsy Reid put together a public exhibit and website using the photos and called it PHOTO OF THE DAY: 1979-1997, 6,697 Polaroids, dated in sequence. The physical exhibit opened in 2007 at the Bertelsmann Campus Center at Bard College (where Livingston started the series, as a student, way back when). The exhibit included rephotographs of every Polaroid and took up a 7 x 120 foot space.
You can read more about the project at this blog (apparently written by Crawford?). Or just look at the website. It’s a stunning account of a man’s life and death. All photos above are from the website.
Update: I’ve made contact with Hugh Crawford and his wife Louise. Apparently the pictures that are just dates aren’t Polaroids — they’re placeholders for days when there was no photo, or the photo was lost.
Update 2: After hitting the Digg homepage, the original site has been taken down by the host. Hopefully it’ll be back up overnight; in the meantime if anyone has a mirror of the original site, please leave a link in the comments (you have to leave off the http part).
Update 3: The original website is back up! Hugh has managed to restore service, and it looks like the site is now cached across multiple servers. It’s still a little slow due to the huge amount of traffic, but at least it works. Go check it out.
Update 4: Jamie Livingston has been added to Wikipedia.
Update 5: Many people have asked about the Polaroid SX-70 camera. Check out this Eames film explaining the camera.
Follow Chris Higgins on Twitter for more stories like this one.
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what a stunning find!
posted by Mangesh on 5-21-2008 at 3:37 pm
amazing! great find
:)
posted by Clotho on 5-21-2008 at 3:39 pm
Thank you.
This was one of the most moving posts I’ve ever read. As soon as I finish writing this I am going to the blog.
posted by beth on 5-21-2008 at 3:40 pm
Epic and moving. Great find.
posted by Laura R. on 5-21-2008 at 3:55 pm
This is a fascinating post – very moving. How on earth did you decide which of the multitude of compelling photos to include?
He was about my age, went to college in the same area as me, lived in the New York area, Mets fan, musician …. I’m just convinced that if look at enough of his photos, I’ll find friends in common – a six degrees of separation kind of thing. May take a while!
posted by Betsy on 5-21-2008 at 3:56 pm
Incredible! Nicely blogged too, I might add.
posted by Ransom Riggs on 5-21-2008 at 3:57 pm
I actually teared up at my desk.
posted by Billy on 5-21-2008 at 4:00 pm
That is amazing, his poor wife, imagine dying 18 days after your wedding. I wonder if he thought his health was improving and the relapce was sudden or if the woman married him out of pity…
posted by Witty Nickname on 5-21-2008 at 4:00 pm
Thank you so much for posting this. What a moving piece…
posted by Cassie on 5-21-2008 at 4:12 pm
What can i say, this story, this blog, and this post, are very moving.
I’ll keep them for a long time.
Thank you.
posted by eleonooore on 5-21-2008 at 4:34 pm
Oh my goodness, I started tearing up here as well. How long did he want to collect the photos? Was it mentioned? I don’t think I’d want to see the rest of the pictures, considering how it all turned out.
posted by Silva on 5-21-2008 at 4:34 pm
amazing and moving.
posted by septer on 5-21-2008 at 4:58 pm
It’s true. A picture is worth a thousand words.
posted by bean on 5-21-2008 at 5:19 pm
Intense and sad
posted by DAVE ID on 5-21-2008 at 5:27 pm
Thank you so much for sharing this. You did a wonderful job with your write-up.
posted by Ole Begemann on 5-21-2008 at 5:35 pm
The Jamie Livingston in IMDB was still working in 2003.
posted by Mike Cohen on 5-21-2008 at 7:17 pm
He died one month and one day before my 41st birthday. This is both sad and scary!!!
posted by gus on 5-21-2008 at 8:24 pm
@Mike Cohen – the Lionel Richie Video Collection came out in 2003, but Livingston was only editor of one video (“Se La”), which was from a 1986 song. So he got the credit posthumously. I’m assuming the video in question is this one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4HQvEO63NU
posted by Chris Higgins on 5-21-2008 at 9:14 pm
Amazing, I was really touched by this……
posted by Raza on 5-21-2008 at 9:21 pm
He could have worked on something that did not get released until 2003…
posted by filter on 5-21-2008 at 9:40 pm
I’ve got goosebumps. Thanks.
posted by Braha on 5-21-2008 at 9:48 pm
What an amazing story
posted by Scott Beveridge on 5-21-2008 at 10:33 pm
I love that he used a Polaroid camera…and used it well. Would pay to see the public exhibit.
posted by Sandra on 5-21-2008 at 10:48 pm
Awesome find – one of those faint glimmering stars that really redeems the information age. I’m so glad this fellow shared his beautiful life with us.
posted by Ira on 5-21-2008 at 10:58 pm
Unfortunately this cannot be done again because Polaroid is stopping production of their instant film.
posted by Jenny on 5-21-2008 at 11:06 pm
this is so fascinating, in a voyeuristic kind of way.
posted by Chris on 5-21-2008 at 11:15 pm
Wow, this is intense.
This made me cry, to think, especially to see the ring and the wedding. When I saw the wedding was 2 days after the engagement ring, I imagined there might be a reason–maybe he knew he was sick again by this point. The picture of them at the wedding is very touching. They look so happy and at peace, living in that moment, and that moment only.
Just beautiful.
posted by TN on 5-21-2008 at 11:30 pm
thank u 4 sharing
posted by kevin on 5-21-2008 at 11:31 pm
I’ll keep this post as a favorite. Happy and sad.
posted by calvin on 5-21-2008 at 11:53 pm
I’m sorry to say this but those all these photos were taken from a Polaroid as we can see from the difference in depth of field between many of the pictures.
posted by Datajack on 5-22-2008 at 12:02 am
inspiring dedication to take great pics
posted by @nD on 5-22-2008 at 12:08 am
What a bunch of emotional schmucks you all are! Do you cry everytime you read the obits?
an amazing story…shared his beautiful life with us…I’ve got goosebumps…Epic and moving…actually teared up at my desk.
Gawd — give me a break! He was a guy who started an art project of questionable value and then died of cancer just like five hundred thousand people do each year in the US. Big Deal!
Get over it — your comments are pathetic and demonstrate nothing but the weakest sort of emotionalism.
posted by Ken on 5-22-2008 at 12:09 am
Thank you to Jamie’s friends for all their effort to share this with us.
posted by Matt on 5-22-2008 at 12:11 am
Thats was awesome and moving, great find!
Thank you for posting.
posted by purgarus on 5-22-2008 at 12:22 am
Thank you for posting this, and thank the photographer’s friends who put these pictures on the net. Just like so many others, it had a deep effect on me.
posted by disizhell on 5-22-2008 at 12:28 am
Happy and Sad in the same time
posted by iguzz on 5-22-2008 at 12:39 am
Stuff like this is significant. People NEED to be remembered. Especially when they do something so spectacular as this even with such a sad ending. He continued his passion right to the last day of his life. That deserves some kind of history. We need a way of downloading and saving the ENTIRE site. A way to make sure this is never lost. Suggestions? I can not wait till its back up so I can see it.
posted by Chris Taylor on 5-22-2008 at 12:42 am
Oh, wow. Thank you for sharing these. This is fascinating.
posted by Ry on 5-22-2008 at 12:44 am
This was quite different from so much found files on the web … may the man in the photos have found the good rest that all souls seek after.
A visual diary oft times says so much more than the volumes of verbiage that are sifted through while trying to understand our lives or the lives of others.
posted by Barrie O. Ward on 5-22-2008 at 12:51 am
Thanks for doing this.
> He died one month and one day before my 41st birthday. This is both sad and scary!!!
Whoa. Jamie Livingston was born the same day I was.
posted by Paul D on 5-22-2008 at 12:57 am
What makes it emotional, is the sense of viewing the course of a human life. how many of us can produce such an impact?
I was impressed, thank you.
posted by jay on 5-22-2008 at 1:02 am
@Datajack the Polaroid SX-70 had clip-on wide angle and telephoto lens attachments that changed the depth of field. It also included an autofocus system as a consumer add-on kit. This is not the crappy Polaroid you’re thinking of!
posted by Chris Higgins on 5-22-2008 at 1:04 am
Damn. This is an excellent find. A record of a life: the triumphs, the sadness, the boring days, friends, sports, and a career…and finally death, equally uneventful for the world, but probably heartbreaking for his friends and family.
I didn’t feel like the need to want to know this man, because I knew that I’m alot like him. That’s the sad part…that I’ll also die in obscurity.
posted by Ossian on 5-22-2008 at 1:06 am
@Datajack
That is in the article several time, and well know as written by the photographs.
Wake UP and Read The Article.
Thanks!
A guy from Digg
posted by Modestexcuse on 5-22-2008 at 1:06 am
Ken… don’t be so rude and disrespectful.
This story is very touching to me because my mother died from a brain tumour (her scar looked exactly the same, staples and all) so I can imagine exactly what this guy’s final year was like.
Keep your insensitivity to yourself.
posted by Jo on 5-22-2008 at 1:08 am
@Ken
Grow up troll.
Thanks,
The rest of the internets.
posted by Ernie on 5-22-2008 at 1:11 am
Ken… I’d rather be a feeling emotional schmuck than a predatory aggressive loser who has nothing else to do but find fault with others posts. Apparently you are the one who needs a life. I’m sorry your mother never hugged you.
posted by Kim on 5-22-2008 at 1:15 am
thank you.
posted by sebastian on 5-22-2008 at 1:16 am
What a neat idea for a project. It’s a shame his loved ones lost him to such a terrible disease. Thanks for sharing this with us.
Ken… I’d rather be a feeling emotional schmuck than a predatory aggressive loser who has nothing else to do but find fault with others posts. Apparently you are the one who needs a life. I’m sorry your mother never hugged you.
posted by Kim on 5-22-2008 at 1:18 am
Hey ‘Ken’, humanity called.
Apparently it hasn’t seen you in a while.
posted by MilesyMiles on 5-22-2008 at 1:20 am
Very nice post and such a sad story, I hope the site comes back on soon or someone mirrors it with more bandwidth.
posted by ShaolinTiger on 5-22-2008 at 1:49 am
He had good friends and family, therefore he had it all.
posted by Cool on 5-22-2008 at 1:49 am
Wow…. Thats amazing. I was truely moved. You get the real life story and get to know a guy for 18 years. and then he dies. Its really sad. But whats so ironic about it, when you click on his name and it takes you to the internet movie database, the place where his picture should be, it says “No photo available”. Check it out. It seems like they should have plenty to choose from.
posted by Bruce Collins on 5-22-2008 at 2:24 am
hello, that was amazing.
posted by Bruce on 5-22-2008 at 2:29 am
Ken – whew, thank goodness you’re not an emotional schmuck like the rest of us.
You either get the point of something like this or you don’t.
When I saw this I made an emotional connection with this man and his friends, even though I never met them. Emotional connections are the grease that allow society to work.
posted by Phil on 5-22-2008 at 2:30 am
Jesus wept!
posted by Stefan on 5-22-2008 at 2:50 am
A prime example of passionate photography. Moving indeed.
posted by Syahid A. on 5-22-2008 at 2:53 am
You helped immortalize this one man’s amazing journey. Great job!
posted by purple_rain on 5-22-2008 at 3:40 am
Stuff like this is what makes the Internet so interesting. Great job finding it.
posted by Tal S. on 5-22-2008 at 4:43 am
amazing photos, a great commitment to secure ones own legacy
posted by Chris on 5-22-2008 at 4:56 am
@Ken
you need some JAM ROAST!
posted by deanimate on 5-22-2008 at 5:10 am
A little note to Ken: It’s OK for you to feel some emotions for your fellow human beings. Trust me, it won’t make you less of a “man”.
posted by Splicer on 5-22-2008 at 5:45 am
This is an amazing story which you have related in a beautiful manner.
Sitting at work looking at those photos, it is hard not too feel a surge of emotion going through.
I am looking forward to see the full site when up again.
bugs.
posted by Bugs on 5-22-2008 at 6:17 am
Very moving i_i
posted by Dirk on 5-22-2008 at 6:21 am
Ken=asshole.
posted by fixedgear on 5-22-2008 at 6:22 am
Great and absolutely moving article.
posted by Hannes on 5-22-2008 at 6:23 am
i wanna do something like this …
but i dunno if i have the dedication in me …
a friend of mine and me have a photo a day blog going at
http://www.dailyphotosofmale.com
check it out … thanks …
posted by subcorpus on 5-22-2008 at 6:26 am
a story never dies. thanks.
posted by astralwicks on 5-22-2008 at 7:30 am
not very often that i am moved by a blog. thank you.
posted by theYerg on 5-22-2008 at 7:33 am
Ken, I think you are missing the point. This post is so moving because it is the mundane record of one man’s life. He is a representative of all the men and women who live ordinary lives and fight cancer, ultimately losing that painful battle. I suspect that many of those who are moved by these photos have been touched by cancer or cancer survivors and victims. These silent moments that show the ebb and flow of his life are a tribute, in a way, to all of the cancer victims in the world.
posted by Alyce on 5-22-2008 at 7:57 am
He must have been my age, or maybe a few years younger. Sad to see that he died so young, and that his death must have caused him and his family a lot of pain.
He made a monument to himself. It feels as if he’s making friends (like most of us here) beyound the grave.
Very impressive and very moving.
posted by René on 5-22-2008 at 7:59 am
Just a beautiful story
posted by Fubiz on 5-22-2008 at 8:05 am
It´s very good idea. I´m think do the same
posted by HUMOR on 5-22-2008 at 8:15 am
Weird and impressive. You can see feeling in all those images, not people.
posted by Ionut Puiu on 5-22-2008 at 8:29 am
Even though the name of the post indicated he died, I was still so very moved to the point of tears when I got to that point. What an amazing project to take on, and CONTINUE on, even when he found out he was sick. Thanks for sharing.
posted by Dawn @ Coming to a Nursery Near You on 5-22-2008 at 8:44 am
You did an amazing job capturing the essence of someone through over 6000 pics. Can’t wait for the site to be back up…
posted by michellereno on 5-22-2008 at 8:54 am
Is Digg traffic boost worth Digg troll boost? YOU DECIDE.
posted by Ira on 5-22-2008 at 9:04 am
Ingenious, sad, poetic, fascinating, bittersweet, instructive…there are more words I could think of to describe this but it would take a while. So I’ll just say: Wow.
posted by Shawn Plep on 5-22-2008 at 9:11 am
@Alyce – well said.
posted by caitlen315 on 5-22-2008 at 9:23 am
An amazing document.
posted by defekto on 5-22-2008 at 10:17 am
Epic.
posted by Simone Severini on 5-22-2008 at 11:02 am
KEN- Did you get enough S*&*!!! I would give you more, but, I already gave you too much!!! You don’t deserve the attention like this MAN did…F.Off!!!!
GREAT FIND!!!
GOOD ARTICLE!!!
posted by J. on 5-22-2008 at 12:08 pm
This is an awesome story.
Regarding the identity of the photographer, it is pretty easy to read, in the shot of the film submission form, that his name was James Livingston, and once lived in NYC.
posted by JoeV on 5-22-2008 at 12:08 pm
wow, interesting
posted by cash wild on 5-22-2008 at 12:29 pm
as someone touched cancer by several family members and friends, this was touching to me, beautiful, thank you for taking the time to share this, yes its sad that he passed but at the same time, his legend continues, because of people like you who make sure others know about his beautiful life
posted by chrissie on 5-22-2008 at 12:40 pm
Finally! someone who in our lifetime is making history by a simple act of bieng who he was without having a history of unnecessarily exploited lifestyle of drugs and extravagant lifestyle. Almost feels like it was faith and fortune for anyone who came upon this story to realize the things we take for granted thanks to our dying generation. Jamie Livingston you were and are going to be remembered you have done well.
Thank you.
posted by fatemak on 5-22-2008 at 12:53 pm
These pictures would look amazing in a dipity.com flipbook (no secrets, I work there). I think someone from the company is trying to get in touch with them. Here’s hoping!
posted by BK Gupta on 5-22-2008 at 1:12 pm
Beautiful story, touched my heart.
Thanx 4 writing it.
in LVX
Diaan
posted by Diaan on 5-22-2008 at 1:17 pm
Undeniably fascinating, these few pictures say so much. I want to know more. Are there any plans to publish the exhibit into a book?
Mick
posted by Mick Malone on 5-22-2008 at 1:56 pm
That was awesome and I bet you more than anything there will be a movie about him because I would go watch it.
posted by Matt on 5-22-2008 at 2:01 pm
Thankyou for posting this. Fantastic find. I am surprised at how fast this is spreading round the web, this being posted only 2 days ago…
Can’t wait for the site to get back up and running.
Rob
posted by Rob on 5-22-2008 at 4:16 pm
Thank you for writing about this amazing man. I must have been the only person who interpreted the wedding ring and keys as a sad memento. As a one-year widow, I thought that picture had been taken by his wife. It was lovely to see the picture of them at their wedding. Very touching.
posted by Mary on 5-22-2008 at 4:38 pm
@Mary – it’s really hard to see, but the wife is in the background of the ring photo. It is definitely sad, though, given the circumstances.
posted by Chris Higgins on 5-22-2008 at 4:50 pm
sad photo…
posted by ciro on 5-22-2008 at 5:47 pm
Jamie and I worked on a number of projects together in the mid 1990′s. We lost touch around 1996. I am saddened by his death. He and is SX-70 will be sorely missed. I remember being part of a few of his photos. Thanks for the post
posted by L. M. Sorre on 5-22-2008 at 6:49 pm
Thank you, Higgins. My favorite post on MentalFloss since I started feeding a year ago.
posted by TMo on 5-22-2008 at 7:58 pm
So captivating. This might seem odd, but, looking at Jamie’s series of photos, I started thinking about how Descartes became famous as a mathematician by imagining that a curve could be conceived as a series of infinitesimally small points, and hence approximated as a series of points that could be plotted on a graph with two axes, x and y.
Considering Jamie’s polaroid-a-day over 18 years, I had four variations on a thought:
* Here we have a life represented as a finite series of discrete points.
* Here we have a life *represented* as a finite series of discrete points.
* Here we have a life represented as *a finite series of discrete points*.
* Here we have a *life* represented as a finite series of discrete points.
The life represented is gone; the representations remain in life through us, if we view them and talk about them.
Cavemen didn’t have the capacity to make the photos. They didn’t have the capacity to make optically accurate visual representations, and I’m sure they didn’t try to do that or even consider doing that.
All they had was the talk part to keep memory alive. What would they have talked about with regard to Jamie Livingston? Not a photo a day.
That makes me wonder what does it do to spread a life out in a photo a day? Where does it take one’s mind and heart to spread a life out that way?
Maybe what we enjoy, in considering something like Jamie Livingston’s 6,697 polaroid photos, is the tension we experience between the ingraspable living essence and the absolute regularity of a quasi-mathematicized temporal interval.
posted by Tognotti on 5-22-2008 at 8:37 pm
This story brought me to tears. Makes one realize how precious and short life really is.
posted by kat on 5-22-2008 at 11:58 pm
I’m going to cry. This is remarkable.
posted by business on 5-23-2008 at 2:24 am
Increible y emocionante.
Gracias internet por acercanos estas historias.
posted by Sting on 5-23-2008 at 2:58 am
Oh wow, how incredible!
It’s difficult enough doing it for one year, but that length of time is unbelievable!
posted by Jenty on 5-23-2008 at 7:18 am
I, too, was in tears here in my cubicle. I can’t get to the photos site due to what my company’s web filters call “proxy avoidance,” but I certainly will as soon as I have an open Internet connection.
posted by Mark on 5-23-2008 at 7:38 am
E’ una storia incredibile! Le azioni di ogni giorno,pur nella loro semplicità ,diventano belle e piene di vita. Grazie per averci permesso di conoscere una persona tanto straordinaria . Continuerà a vivere,grazie alle sue immagini e alla tua segnalazione.
posted by vitty on 5-23-2008 at 7:43 am
I can’t access the site right now, but it sounds incredible. I’ve been taking daily photographs since 2007, originally as a one year project. Once you start though, it becomes a compulsion, and now I can’t see any reason I’d stop.
My photos are all taken on a cameraphone – I guess it’s the modern equivalent of a point and shoot instant-feedback Polaroid camera.
posted by David on 5-23-2008 at 11:47 am
Wow! That’s SMOKE, a Wayne Wang’s film, 20 years ago! The story is very nice!
posted by xepe on 5-23-2008 at 12:11 pm
The last month (October 1997) is working but not the rest of the site.
posted by Jenny on 5-23-2008 at 12:55 pm
The coolest thing to me about this is how this guy must have looked at daily life. Every day deciding when to take that picture. From some of them, like the sporting events or with friends, it looks like he tried to capture what made that day unique from all the others. It’s not so much about Mr. Livingston as it is about his outlook. Every day, like every photograph is unique.
posted by Chris on 5-23-2008 at 3:55 pm
Tahnks for sharing this. Very intense and sad.
posted by Andrea, Italy on 5-24-2008 at 12:28 am
We can all learn from Mr Livingston. Document each day by one little act of kindness towards others.
When people experience good things done to them by others, they preserve that memory for life.
posted by Chris Desouza on 5-24-2008 at 1:49 am
It’s an unbelievable story! Great find…
I’m going to publish it on my website too.
Alberto (from Italy)
posted by Alberto on 5-24-2008 at 5:14 am
One of the few things I have witnessed in this highly interconnected era which touched me on a truly personal level.
posted by Clive on 5-24-2008 at 8:16 am
this almost brought me to tears. life is just too short when you have something to live for… your friends, your family, the things you love.
brilliant post.
posted by Claudia on 5-24-2008 at 8:32 am
Great stuff!! Powerful and moving. Too bad for the sad ending. Looking for current photo a day project.
posted by rick on 5-24-2008 at 7:04 pm
Hey everyone, I saw this story and it inspired me to make his polaroids into a video. Click my name to watch it.
posted by Jesse on 5-24-2008 at 10:46 pm
Website’s link isn’t working :(
posted by Acid Burn on 5-25-2008 at 7:35 am
@Acid Burn – try it now; it looks like the link has changed a little as it’s been cached by the Coral Cache network. I have updated the links.
posted by Chris Higgins on 5-25-2008 at 12:15 pm
I’m truly deeply touched by this series. Thanks for finding it. As a photographer I’ve heard and seen of many projects that were similar, but very few go till the end, and very are this touching and artistic. This is a walk down a very personal life-story. Beautiful.
posted by Philippe Roy on 5-25-2008 at 9:38 pm
i was wondering if theres any place to view the collection of his photographs on the internet now that the addresszero website is not working.
posted by kayla on 5-26-2008 at 10:55 am
Thanks for sharing this Chris! I too will blog and reference both your site and OTBKB site. More people need to see this, and the way you worded and chose photos was perfect!
posted by Anissa on 5-26-2008 at 2:22 pm
What a touching story.
posted by Pam Waugh on 5-26-2008 at 4:00 pm
What a touching story. Amazing too that he didn’t loose his beard from chemo.
posted by Pam Waugh on 5-26-2008 at 4:02 pm
I am speechless!
sad, amazing, brave, ingenious…
posted by Baby Snake on 5-26-2008 at 6:27 pm
A great collection of photo’s ….. kinda like life …. all the emotions … ending in death, albeit too soon.
a fascinating exploration :)
posted by Jack Simpson on 5-26-2008 at 10:39 pm
wow…i just stumbled to this page…interesting…
posted by Chelle on 5-27-2008 at 4:17 am
i knew jamie. not well, but he was a classmate. many of my friends are in these photos. it’s like moving backward down a time tunnel as i look at them.
it’s quite an accomplishment. what a lovely spontaneous thing to do. and kudos to hugh and company for their sweat and toil in bringing this together. magnificent.
posted by dios on 5-27-2008 at 9:06 am
thanx for sharing this. this is indeed wondeful “life project” brought to a medium that will die soon …
posted by Dennis on 5-28-2008 at 2:54 am
Unfortunately, the website is not up right now.
posted by Que Areste on 5-29-2008 at 1:56 am
Ken your my hero !! rock on..
posted by human on 5-29-2008 at 8:04 pm
Just speechless, so happy and so sad all at once. Really a great find!!!
posted by David on 5-29-2008 at 8:56 pm
This just shows that we go on living life one day into the next and by taking a photo each day and looking over them all you realize that every single day, every moment is LIFE happening. It’s sad in a way because there are terrible things that happen to people, a lot of suffering and pain but that is part of life and for it to be documented by images and not a story lets you take your own angle on it but no one will ever really know his life but him.
Wonderful idea, may he rest in peace and his wife be healthy and happy…
posted by Dee on 5-30-2008 at 10:42 pm
Hey Ken, when you get things wrong, you really get them wrong. I really think you missed the point of this blog, the photo’s and the meaning behind them. If you don’t know it, I am not going to try to explain as it is only something that someone can learn. Hopefully, you’ll understand that “big picture” one day. I loved this exhibit of photos taken. For one, I find life in NYC fascinating and have always wanted to have grown up in the fashion that he and his friends had. I grew up in a small town in Michigan which was nice, but NYC? I would have love it. Second, I like thinking of what I was doing the day some of these pictures were taken. I have a very close friend of mine that died in August of 2007 while I was in Iraq and I miss him dearly. We did everything together since we met in 1974 so I know how it feels. There is a photo taken 12-12-79 which is my friends birthday at age 19. Third, this type of photo exhibition makes me think of how blessed that God gave me more days to live than this guy and a lot of others, such as the families in Iraq. Our life is easy in U.S. Don’t take it for granted. I hope I can do something as special to pass on as this guy did.
posted by chubsoda on 5-31-2008 at 12:24 pm
This is a truly inspirational thing. I would love to do something of the same fashion to pass on to my children, so that they could see how I lived, the times I spent with friends, these snapshots of memories long since past.
Fantastic
posted by Niall on 6-2-2008 at 1:27 am
wow nice!
posted by Paul on 6-2-2008 at 7:44 pm
So Polaroid is dangerous to your health? Is it cancerous?
posted by mailer on 6-3-2008 at 8:56 pm
My fiance died of cancer on October 24th, 1997… the day of the last photo in this collection… Stunning coincidence… has brought back a world of hurt though :-(
posted by incredibly depressed on 6-3-2008 at 11:44 pm
Well, when I first read Ken’s comment on this website I wanted to respond. After reading through the rest of the comments, however, there is nothing I could say that would be better than the comments already posted :) Thanks!
We often wonder if we, as individuals, can make a big difference in the world we live in. This website confirms that we can. Here is an average person, just like us, doing an average activity every day. His friends have given us a view into his ordinary life and struggles. Through this, Jamie Livingston is now touching more people than I am sure he would ever have imagined. What a good example. Thanks for sharing this!!
posted by Wendy on 6-4-2008 at 4:54 pm
Moving and epic.
Y’all should have ignored good ol’ Kenny though. The poor thing is so convinced that he is worth next to nothing, that he also believes the only way to get other human beings to notice him is to be mean and shocking. Hats off to him coz it actually works. On second thought, bring on the Ken bashing, people. You may be averting a suicide.
posted by Tody on 6-5-2008 at 6:50 pm
I think he is one of the Residents
???????????? i saw one of his pictures where he was wearing one of those “eyeheads”.
posted by Jacob on 6-6-2008 at 9:51 am
By the way, the photo was taken in 1979. the year the residents started..
posted by Jacob on 6-6-2008 at 9:56 am
Thank you for sharing this.
posted by Nevi on 6-7-2008 at 7:24 am
beautiful post… really moving…
And the poor man died on his birthday…
So sad, and the photos are so beautiful…
posted by eydryan on 6-8-2008 at 12:50 pm
I wonder if he took more than one photo each day and edited them…otherwise it must be so hard to know what’ll be the most important thing about that particular day. Or maybe he took them at the same time each day? For more of a random selection.
It’d be great to have that dedication, and other than ‘Ken’ it’s bound to touch a chord in terms of sadness. Life, death, passing of time and all that. Surely any human being could empathise?
btw, Rapahel also died on his birthday. His 37th. Of syphilis…
posted by Cleona Lucey on 6-9-2008 at 12:00 pm
Thanks for blogging about this! I’ll be passing this around Twitter. Makes me wish Polaroid would see this and rethink their decision to stop making film.
posted by Bonnie on 6-15-2008 at 7:19 pm
I was listening on the radio this morning on CBC and heard the story… so when I got in the first thing I did was find the site. I just finished going over the site… This was very moving story.
posted by Peg on 6-18-2008 at 10:48 am
What an amazing story!…This should be made into a movie….I’m lost for words!
posted by Blair on 6-18-2008 at 7:58 pm
thats sad, but he had a great idea.
posted by olivia on 6-26-2008 at 9:55 pm
Both fascinating and haunting.
Thanks for sharing his story.
posted by Nadine on 6-29-2008 at 6:55 pm
Thats so cool. Yeah, I agree it should be made into a movie somehow.
posted by Emily on 7-3-2008 at 3:06 am
thanks for sharing.
posted by Murthy on 7-11-2008 at 2:40 am
Soooo damn achingly significant!!!
posted by Jen on 7-20-2008 at 2:07 pm
An incredible window into anothers life and death. I only pray that I may do the same with grace.
P.S. Ken needs a dose of grace.
posted by Ghost on 7-24-2008 at 5:26 am
awesome that’s a great history i really enjoyed! good bless that man!!
posted by JHONNY on 7-24-2008 at 3:04 pm
I got very upset while looking these photos. He died? Life is very interesting. We are living as we don’t die one day :(
posted by Dizi izle on 8-7-2008 at 9:56 am
Absolutely Amazing!!
posted by Jason on 8-17-2008 at 7:13 pm
Compelling and sad. You remind me of a website which I have never been able to find again. It showed a woman for about 4 years. She took a photo in a photobooth every single day of those years. Towards the end, she becomes pregnant and has a child. The baby is about 6 months old around the time of the last few shots. There is no explanation for why she disappeared and afterwards, however much I have searched, I have never again been able to find the site no matter how much/or in which way, I have googled it. I also used other search engines. Anyway, she was based in Denmark or something like that and she traveled sometimes to Belgium to be with family. The woman was in her late 20s to mid 30s and that is as much as I remember about it though her face is as clear as the palm of my hand within my head.
posted by Milena on 8-20-2008 at 5:31 pm
I couldn’t sleep last night so I was up and found your blog about this amazing man. My sleep problem was related to a recent trauma of my own but as luck would have it, this story helped me to tear up and release some of it. So, thank-you Chris for putting up this story.
I was also moved by Ken’s pain. Sometimes our pain is too much and we block it out. When we witness others reacting normally to an emotional event, we have to work extra hard to hide our pain from ourselves. It makes us angry.
In other words, that which we can’t tolerate in others (e.g. normal grief) is often being triggered by our own stuff.
posted by Suzanne Go4Counseling on 8-31-2008 at 11:35 am
Hi Chris, sorry to bother you. I must have put in my website incorrectly as the link now shows an Open DNS.
The above is correct.
Thanks again,
Suzanne
posted by Suzanne at Go4Counseling on 8-31-2008 at 11:20 pm
Hey Suzanne,
Looks like there was a typo in the previous link — I’ve corrected it, and now both links work. Thanks for your support!
posted by Chris Higgins on 9-1-2008 at 12:43 am
Thank you for sharing this wonderful and sad, ever so touching story everyone has one… most we’ll never know, and in some some we get a glimpse of.
posted by Maria on 9-8-2008 at 7:57 pm
wow
i didn’t know abaout this man and his live till now. but i had nearly the same project for one year. and i have to say it was the best of my life…
thank you for sharing!
irene
posted by irene on 9-23-2008 at 3:52 pm
All we have are moments in life. He took the time to capture them forever and pass his memories onto anyone willing to look.
posted by Guy on 9-25-2008 at 11:14 am
WOW….incredibly moving.
posted by Kel on 10-1-2008 at 2:53 am
Thank you for bringing this out. It’s quite inspiring, but it’s also a sad story, like many.
posted by Sari on 10-6-2008 at 5:07 pm
You’re an amazing detective & journalist. I began reading thinking well who cares and by the middle I really wanted to know what was going on. How many edits did you do from where you began. I edit edit edit and sometimes, even after something has been published I may edit again.
I love this piece the universalism of it. It hits us where we feel.
Direct me to your next piece.
I think I’d like to read the children’s story.
I have a friend on FB who writes delightful stories with witches kingdoms and more. They’re better than Harry Potter. I’d like you to meet or read his stuff.
We are very different but alike in knowing how to stroke the feelings beneath the skin.
Thanks for a good read Chris.
posted by joy leftow on 10-17-2008 at 4:57 pm
think I did the link wrong. Amazing follow through & skills.
posted by joy leftow on 10-17-2008 at 4:59 pm
Nice ~
posted by chokDee on 10-21-2008 at 9:53 am
Sublime and haunting.
posted by Allan on 10-22-2008 at 4:43 pm
hi,
i heard the interview this morning at CBC’s Sparks. this touches something deep.
bits of us.
could remixing of those bits be part our digital legacies?
posted by djela on 10-22-2008 at 5:53 pm
I too heard this on CBC. It’s very moving. It really makes me think about our mortality and what will be left of each of us when we’re gone – digitally or otherwise. Jamie has a great digital legacy.
Thank you.
posted by Sandie on 10-23-2008 at 1:34 pm
what a beautiful tribute. I lost a best friend a year ago and her motto was Carpe Diem or seize the day. Jamie sure did.
thank you for this.
posted by Deb on 10-25-2008 at 7:38 pm
CBC has led me to this collection. I was touched by the interview, and I am similarly moved by the blog. We live as if our time is endless, but then we’re shocked into the awareness of the retractile nature of the future.
posted by Helen on 10-25-2008 at 10:58 pm
The power of Gold.
Tks.
Is.
posted by Is on 11-5-2008 at 2:41 pm
I don’t have many friends. I don’t have a girlfriend. I don’t find myself to be appealing to others. :(
If I photographed my life, it would be very boring. hehe
Loved these photos.
posted by yo on 11-5-2008 at 8:15 pm
It’s a very inspiring story. Thanks for sharing!
posted by Nidya on 11-27-2008 at 8:10 am
Thank you very much
posted by Wright on 12-26-2008 at 10:08 am
This is so beautiful and amazing. I had to cry.
posted by April on 12-30-2008 at 10:09 pm
That’s incredibly interesting. Were it not for this story, I would have never heard of this guy before, and now I feel some connection. Thanks.
posted by Clint on 1-1-2009 at 9:41 pm
I, too, was moved by Jamie Livingston and the project, and I thank Mentalfloss for this piece. It’s a tiny bit ironic that his name was “Living”ston.
I’ve had several friends ‘go’ before their time.(cancer, drugs, car & motorcycle accidents, diabetes, an epileptic seizure)
I don’t want to be too hard on Ken and his comment. I think I know how he feels, I too, seem to have no one that gives a G*d D*mn Sh*t about me.
posted by Tdave on 1-2-2009 at 6:31 am
thanks for bringing this to our attention. This is amazing. It is always sad to hear about how people gain popularity only after their deaths. Worth it though. This is really fantastic.
posted by Mimi on 1-2-2009 at 11:38 am
Am I weird, or does anyone else look at pictures not for what the subject is…but for what is all around them. If you look at the Sept. 11th 1997 Photo…there is a Razor Blade, spoon with some kind of “stuff” on it, and a book of matches in the foreground (while he is brushing his newly grown hair). Now to me…it looks like this guy and probably his partner were into some serious kind of mind altering. Not to take anything away from the coolness of this idea…but would everyone still be tearing up if this dude was a crack-head? I’m not saying nothing…I’m just saying.
posted by Am I Weird? on 1-2-2009 at 11:48 am
The last year made me cry, it was amazing to me how much of the process I recognized having watched my sister go through it all a few years back. He seemed far too young, as was she. He seemed to love life and friends and family, as did she. He didn’t seem to give up and looks like he fought, just like her. Not looking through all of the years, I still feel like we have a strong sense of who he was. Something so small as a moment out of the day…I think I am going to start doing something like this for my family, today.
posted by Mel on 1-4-2009 at 3:20 am
What an amazing project to take on, and CONTINUE on, even when he found out he was sick. Thanks for sharing.
posted by therichestpeople on 1-26-2009 at 5:04 pm
damn why i can’t see my comment ?
posted by nasindo on 1-26-2009 at 5:05 pm
Very nicely done,touching,he did leave something for all to visit and obsrve.I feel sad for his bride.Gives me another idea toward legacys??????
posted by Doc Shaffer on 2-11-2009 at 8:12 pm
What a touching series of work.
posted by Zana on 2-23-2009 at 12:18 am
I’m not sure if someone hasn’t already mentioned this (so many comments!) but this chimes a lot with projects described in the essays by the Dutch psychologist Drouwe Draaisma ‘Why Life Speeds Up As You Get Older’
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Why-Life-Speeds-You-Older/dp/0521691990/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1236082614&sr=8-1
Fascinating and so touching. Thank you!
posted by Clare Dudman on 3-3-2009 at 7:20 am
Wow. This was very touching. Very inspiring too, to go forth and carpe diem with photography!
posted by Crystal on 3-16-2009 at 9:44 pm
Very touching indeed. Thanks you!
posted by marry on 4-10-2009 at 9:00 am
I’m stumbling onto this kind of late, but better late than never! Interestingly, that seems to sum up the content of the photos as well – true, it’s saddening to see this man meet his untimely end, but I have to wonder if he ultimately led a richer and more fulfilling life as a result of this project. I mean, when you have a picture to take every day, you’d want it to be meaningful even if it IS mundane, right?
It’s clear that Mr. Livingstone had a large, great group of friends and acquaintances, and what looks to be a very loving and caring wife. Despite the fact that his life ended earlier than most, it looks like he made the most of the time he had and inspires me to do the same.
@yo: Maybe you don’t find yourself appealing to others, but maybe others wouldn’t think that the case? You never know what may happen…
@Tdave: I find it sad that you feel no one gives a s**t about you, but consider this – of all the friends you’ve lost, you may have been the one person who gave a s**t about them. We don’t all get to know when we go, but at least your buddies had YOU there for them when it was their time!
posted by Bert on 5-4-2009 at 12:36 pm
Wow there are some heavy shots there! How deep this goes one can only imagine!
posted by Marc on 5-13-2009 at 9:51 am
Amazing and moving.
Thanks for sharing.
Dick van Baren,
Holland.
posted by Dick van Baren on 5-20-2009 at 2:53 pm
This was a great post and i was actually just wondering if anyone knew of anyplace it was possible to buy a polaroid camera such as the one he used? As well as the film? I have been hunting for one for a while here in Australia, I just think it would be such a great find.
posted by Catherine on 6-2-2009 at 5:38 am
@Catherine:
The best option I know of is to try eBay. In the States there are some SX-70 cameras available, looks like between $25-100ish. The film is another story — I believe it has been discontinued for some time now. There is probably some “new old stock” in collectors’ hands, though I’m not sure where you’d purchase it. (Try Googling for Polaroid film?)
There’s also a team trying to reengineer a new, Polaroid-compatible film pack, though it won’t be in production for a while:
theimpossibleproject.com
posted by Chris Higgins on 6-2-2009 at 2:46 pm
This was an amazing article and I am glad I found it. Thank you to those who gathered the photos and put them up on the web and sharing. This is the kind of stuff I love to read about.
MIX IT UP Magazine
Mixitupmagazine.com
posted by Ed Troxell on 6-11-2009 at 6:21 pm
This is beautiful, inspiring, thank you for sharing your find it’s just amazing
posted by Kent on 6-12-2009 at 2:45 pm
Rest in peace man….we really need to find a cure for this damn disease.
posted by Steve on 6-16-2009 at 3:15 pm
Great post. Thank you for sharing it.
posted by Ian F. Hood on 6-27-2009 at 10:53 pm
What an amazing story
posted by film izle on 6-28-2009 at 5:50 pm
Why doesn’t everyone do this? I only bother chronicling trips and special occasions…duh!
posted by 2cynykyl on 6-28-2009 at 8:51 pm
Just so you know, that man, according to your pictures, did not lose his hair to chemo. How can I tell? I underwent chemo myself for childhood cancer. In the photo where he’s bald, he has a beard. With chemotherapy, ALL of your hair falls out, including your pubes. Due to the time he probably underwent a very light chemo therapy, one that did not result in hair loss.
posted by Adam on 6-29-2009 at 12:00 pm
[...] who took a Polaroid EVERY DAY from 1979 to the day he passed away in 1997. Mental Floss has a very nice write-up about the site if you’d like to read more about it. This would be really awesome if I could [...]
posted by half a year into my photography project — CoreyHulse.com on 7-2-2009 at 11:06 pm
I felt for the guy until I saw he was a mets fan.
posted by dizman on 7-5-2009 at 3:25 am
[...] New Video’s Got Some Big Tits in it Beer Goggler: Jessica Alba & Her Girlfriend Are Shopping Mental Floss: He Took a Polaroid Every Day, Until the Day He Died Epic Carnival: The 10 biggest fantasy baseball [...]
posted by Morning Mix: Ugliest Dog Contest, Weird Body Mods & Drake’s New Video | djmick: V2 on 7-7-2009 at 5:30 am
he best option I know of is to try eBay. In the States there are some SX-70 cameras available, looks like between $25-100ish. The film is another story — I believe it has been discontinued for some time now. There is probably some “new old stock†in collectors’ hands, though I’m not sure where you’d purchase it. (Try Googling for Polaroid film?)
posted by sinema izle on 7-8-2009 at 3:33 pm
[...] The guy who kept Polaroid in business. [...]
posted by One Night Stanzas » Blog Archive » Procrastination Station #45 on 7-10-2009 at 5:01 am
Totally amazing
posted by PurpleChirpingCricket on 7-10-2009 at 11:34 am
[...] He Took a Polaroid Every Day, Until the Day He Died (via digg) [...]
posted by Today’s Links « Life in Technicolor on 7-10-2009 at 1:40 pm
[...] n mental_floss Blog » He Took a Polaroid Every Day, Until the Day He Died [...]
posted by » links for 2009-07-10 on 7-10-2009 at 9:06 pm
Facinating collection..he is gone and so is Polaroid. I can’t help wondering that this probably would have ever been seen in a “digital world”…too accessible and transient… with Twits and Blogs will we even find diaries in the future? (I am becoming expert at digital photography but miss the wet darkroom…and manual typewriters to some extent, too…a different pace.)
posted by Thomas Crowe on 7-26-2009 at 10:25 pm
[...] 18. Polaroid Cameras – In a world where we like everything instantly I would think that these would stick around. Alas, they are going the way of black and white photos and are more a view of a person’s artistic expression. [...]
posted by 20 Items of Worthless Junk a Waste of Money? | 500 Finance on 7-30-2009 at 6:41 am
Brilliant. The cost of Polaroid film no doubt made him give each shot some thought.
Digital has taken that “think time” away from many young photogs. I suppose it helps and hurts depending on the individual.
posted by Cold can of Kayo on 8-5-2009 at 12:14 am
Very emotional story.
posted by Michaela on 8-7-2009 at 2:50 am
thanks – im deeply impressed and touched – one of the best photo stories and high quality life-art ive ever seen.
posted by Henning Wüst on 8-9-2009 at 6:09 am
dear chris, thanks for finding this out and bringing this to us. i had found the photo of the day page through stumble before but didnt seek the story inside or go through the series.. thanks once again.
posted by rocksea on 8-11-2009 at 8:26 am
WOW!
posted by DebC on 8-20-2009 at 8:48 am
yes, the fact that these shots were taken with a polaroid camera really speaks to me. vintage shots with a vintage camera. now this man is long gone for 12 years and polaroid is gone as well. it’s sort of poetic…but it definitely made me want to buy a polaroid. too bad all the polaroid film in the world is expired…
posted by Mary on 8-20-2009 at 1:41 pm
i knew jamie. not well, but he was a classmate. many of my friends are in these photos. it’s like moving backward down a time tunnel as i look at them.
posted by medyum on 8-20-2009 at 5:02 pm
Thanks for sharing. It’s haunting, yet powerful.
“Photography is an elegiac art, a twilight art. Most subjects photographed are, just by virtue of being photographed, touched with pathos.”
- Susan Sontag, On Photography.
Yet, in this case, what ads to that feeling is the story behind the project.
posted by Tommy P. on 8-21-2009 at 9:42 pm
Makes me wish Polaroid would see this and rethink their decision to stop making film.
posted by film izle on 8-31-2009 at 4:32 pm
yes, the fact that these shots were taken with a polaroid camera really speaks to me. vintage shots with a vintage camera. now this man is long gone for 12 years and polaroid is gone as well. it’s sort of poetic…but it definitely made me want to buy a polaroid. too bad all the polaroid film in the world is expired…
posted by Aşk Büyüsü Nasıl Yapılır on 9-1-2009 at 7:28 am
I would take a Polaroid every day… …If they still existed. I have one pack of film sitting in my fridge, and after I use that, I will probably never see a pack again.
posted by nh344 on 9-1-2009 at 7:34 pm
Don’t slam Ken. Pity him for his hard heart, and bitterness.
Ken: What started out as a photojournal of a life became a visual story of an everyman. Things like this serve to help us reflect on our own lives and connect to those of others. What do your comments say about how you connect to the lives of others?
posted by calvo on 9-5-2009 at 12:34 pm
i knew jamie. not well, but he was a classmate. many of my friends are in these photos. it’s like moving backward down a time tunnel as i look at them.
posted by film izle on 9-6-2009 at 2:37 pm
Wow. This was very touching. Very inspiring too, to go forth and carpe diem with photography!
posted by manken on 9-7-2009 at 9:16 am
damn. i cried. this is such a great testimony on a great man. i’m also a photographer and i strongly believe that pictures are mental proofs of our lives. rip jamie. i hope all will be able to benefit from your kind heart and spread it to their loved ones. thank you for teaching us the true meaning of life.
posted by Haz on 9-16-2009 at 1:32 am
wow really.. that is amazing..
posted by Becki Burrows on 9-22-2009 at 6:14 pm
[...] um comentário » via [...]
posted by Ele tirou uma Polaroid por dia, até o dia em que ele morreu. (via @mental_floss) « Silent Lucidity, Loud Insanity on 10-13-2009 at 11:09 pm
Makes you think about all the people that pass through your life over 20 years.
His life mirrors everyone else’s in some way; friends, good times, bad times, simple pleasures, celebrations, consolations…….it’s like taking your memory and sharing it with everyone around you.
Remarkable.
posted by Cruel Hand Luke on 10-13-2009 at 11:17 pm
“That is amazing, his poor wife, imagine dying 18 days after your wedding. I wonder if he thought his health was improving and the relapce was sudden or if the woman married him out of pity…”
People do it all of the time, it’s not done because they think their health is improving, and it is not done out of pity. It is done to truly celebrate their love for each other – they just don’t have the luxury of time like the rest of us do.
posted by Mark G on 10-14-2009 at 10:38 am
The stringed instrument in the hospital picture is an Oud, a middle eastern early form a the lute, my specifically its the arabic form of the instrument (as opposed to turkish) There is a decent chance that the photogrpher played Middle eastern or Balkan music.
posted by Josh F on 10-14-2009 at 12:56 pm
All I can say is “WOW”, this has truly left me speechless!!!
posted by Pay10-n-TX on 10-14-2009 at 8:49 pm
Moving, inspiring, sad….so many things go through my mind looking at his collection of pictures.
This could easily be made into a movie.
posted by Esther from Borneo on 10-15-2009 at 10:13 pm
Wow. This was very touching. Very inspiring too, to go forth and carpe diem with photography!
posted by deprem on 10-16-2009 at 5:26 pm
Adam, it’s not the chemo that makes hair fall out with a brain tumor. It’s the radiation. The radiation is specifically targeted and that’s where the hair falls out. My father had brain cancer (it killed him a year ago) and he lost his hair where the radiation hit, but he still had his eyebrows and facial hair and everything else.
This is such an amazing story. I cried a little. It just goes to show you that no life is unexceptional.
posted by Jill on 10-21-2009 at 5:25 pm
Came across this on the Mental Floss page…WOW! Thank you for sharing this. It is truly amazing!
posted by Sharon Elizabeth on 10-23-2009 at 8:35 am
This made me incrediable happy and sad at the same time. How wonderful that someone would love thier life enough to document every day. How horrible that the love for life was cut so short. This just makes me think about my life so far and the life ahead. Hopefully on bad days I’ll remember this and appreciate every photo I could take.
posted by Denise on 10-26-2009 at 5:14 pm
really amazing, he has given us the chance to witness at least some parts of his beautiful life
posted by sevenos on 10-29-2009 at 4:39 am
If he knew of this today and that if he had not died that this may have become…Who knows he might have lived to see the day :(
posted by Andrew on 10-29-2009 at 5:29 pm
Thath Made Me cry…..
posted by Karolina on 10-29-2009 at 6:44 pm
I can”t stop crying. I don’t know why this is affecting me so much, but I can’t stop.
Incredible.
posted by oritpetra on 10-30-2009 at 1:13 am
I’ve had one friend bury her 17 y/o son two weeks ago, and another friend is preparing to say goodbye to her granddaughter. And now this.
Don’t worry Ken, it’ll all balance out when you die and nobody gives a **** about you.
posted by TJ on 10-30-2009 at 7:26 pm
This is powerful. Thank you for bringing more attention to this.
posted by Rebecca on 11-12-2009 at 12:24 pm
What a beautiful thing to do. A living legend created pic by pic! He’s good!! Thank you so much for sharing.
posted by Betty Bramblett on 11-12-2009 at 2:31 pm
I stumbled on his collection of pics through another photosite and was intriged as well. Good that you figured it out so I didn’t have to pull an allnighter.
Cool and sad how people still find it 12 years after he died. That’s a legacy!
posted by Albert on 11-12-2009 at 6:51 pm
Wow. This was very touching. Very inspiring too, to go forth and carpe diem with photography!
posted by casus telefon on 11-13-2009 at 11:41 am
Thanks for showing both sides of the war. Good news is good, the the bad side needs to be shown. I’m 100% permant and totally disable so my family and I know the price of freedom isn’t free.
posted by Mr. Pat Padilla USMC Ret on 11-16-2009 at 2:40 am
What a legacy to leave behind ! The memories he has captured may not mean much to us but think about what they meant to him and to those he left behind. I found this under another website and sad though the story, it opened my eyes to how lucky we really are. These are amazing photos and tell a story that I will not forget.
posted by DiAna L Weaver on 11-18-2009 at 8:22 am
Ken your my hero !! rock on..
posted by seo danışmanlığı on 11-19-2009 at 3:44 pm
Everyone should Journal/blog/document. How are we to continue on if we don’t communicate with each other? No man is an island. It is not meant to be judged publicly, just shared. Thank you for that.
As for Ken, well, this is balance – Thank God (or someone) that for every “Ken” out there, there is also a “Jamie”.
Read my blog (I’d read yours!) http://videomartyr.blogspot.com/
posted by Greg VA on 11-21-2009 at 11:59 am
Ken your my hero !! rock on..
posted by Kürtçe Müzik Dinle on 12-13-2009 at 7:58 pm
wow! amazing. that is extremely suckish that he started to get better then died.
ken if u didnt like it u didnt have to comment. lifes short, try to be live it up and not be a jerk. this story should teach u that.
captcha: augustus bogeying
posted by Daniel on 12-24-2009 at 2:31 am
That was very touching- thanks you & God bless to everyone.
posted by Ann Thompson on 12-26-2009 at 2:21 pm
What a beautiful thing to do. A living legend created pic by pic! He’s good!! Thank you so much for sharing…
posted by ahmet maranki on 12-27-2009 at 12:39 pm
What a legacy to leave behind ! The memories he has captured may not mean much to us but think about what they meant to him and to those he left behind. I found this under another website and sad though the story, it opened my eyes to how lucky we really are. These are amazing photos and tell a story that I will not forget.
posted by arac sorgulama on 12-29-2009 at 4:40 am
james livingston’s project is inspiring. thank you for sharing his work and life with us. <3
posted by opium on 1-12-2010 at 9:19 am
[...] writer, Chris Higgins, does a wonderful job taking the read through his exploration of simply stumbling on a website that [...]
posted by Bittersweet « Elementally Speaking on 1-14-2010 at 9:46 pm
[...] just discovered Jamie Livingston’s stunning series of Polaroids (via Mental Floss). Beginning on March 31st, 1979, Livingston—a circus performer, photographer, and [...]
posted by 6,697 daily Polaroids | Picturedujour.com on 1-19-2010 at 5:50 pm
What a legacy to leave behind ! The memories he has captured may not mean much to us but think about what they meant to him and to those he left behind. I found this under another website and sad though the story, it opened my eyes to how lucky we really are. These are amazing photos and tell a story that I will not forget.
posted by sevgililer günü hediyesi on 1-20-2010 at 5:59 am
One of the nicest posts I’ve ever read. Nice find
posted by Izam on 1-20-2010 at 9:14 pm
That is amazing, his poor wife, imagine dying 18 days after your wedding. I wonder if he thought his health was improving and the relapce was sudden or if the woman married him out of pity…
posted by telefon dinleme on 1-23-2010 at 5:48 pm
[...] Mental Floss Si te gustó, [...]
posted by Una foto por dia, durante 18 años - Obturando on 1-30-2010 at 6:58 pm
After finding this page through “KIPPAGE”, I read the blog, then the comments, then went to the original page put up by his friends. Sat here in tears for most of the last hour, trying to read through blurred eyesight. Such a banal idea with such incredible foresight! Had he lived to be 100, I don’t think it would have been any more or any less touching and incredible. Great thanks to those who have made this available to the public. I lost my father 7 years ago to cancer, and was with him all the way to the end. I know the pain his friends and family went through, and also know how far something like this can go towards healing. God Bless.
Sparky
posted by Sparky Watts on 2-6-2010 at 8:57 pm
I miss Jamie everyday, he was my friend. We played music together, we sang with each other. We grew up a little bit together. He always called me joemama… I miss my friend everyday.
posted by JOe on 2-8-2010 at 7:42 pm
Social comments and analytics for this post…
This post was mentioned on Twitter by alex_garrison: @oxfordist @philcanty Not to butt in, but 365 makes me think of http://bit.ly/58mPFV. It’s a pretty awesome story if you haven’t seen it….
posted by uberVU - social comments on 2-21-2010 at 12:24 pm
yes, the fact that these shots were taken with a polaroid camera really speaks to me. vintage shots with a vintage camera. now this man is long gone for 12 years and polaroid is gone as well. it’s sort of poetic…but it definitely made me want to buy a polaroid. too bad all the polaroid film in the world is expired…
posted by medyum cenap hoca on 3-16-2010 at 12:17 am
One of the nicest posts I’ve ever read. Nice find
posted by sistre on 3-24-2010 at 4:11 am
Can you turn the camera’s eye on your apparently not as interesting life?
Just because we see it, SEE the pain, SEE the love, and all of the above together. This life is just as spectacular as yours, or mine.
I just don’t happen to have a camera with me at the moment…
R.I.P.
posted by Place on 3-24-2010 at 5:36 am
@chubsoda
I don’t believe in god.
posted by Where No One Goes on 3-24-2010 at 5:45 am
shocked !
posted by Sergey on 4-4-2010 at 4:15 pm
this is so beautiful and so moving and such an incredible idea. i wish i could do this now.
posted by mary on 4-6-2010 at 8:56 pm
I cant believe that the man with the stitches had cancer. He had a big impact on polaroids and he must have loved it as a job.When the photographer toook these photos they must havbeen very interested to have tooken pictures of a man with cancer and who actually looked forward to being involved.
Most pepole probably say who cares about polaroids because it migt not seem to have spot there eyes but i think its intellegent for people to expierence something about polaroids.If you think its not that important then take a look back at the article and post a comment!!!
posted by Brandee on 4-13-2010 at 4:23 pm
fantastic article. keep it up and respect to Mr. Livingston
posted by Kurt on 4-27-2010 at 1:55 pm
amazing, beautiful and heart wrenching. the most original autobiography anyone will ever come up with
posted by jay on 4-30-2010 at 3:18 am
From a certain point of view, the photos aren’t very important. They are drab, everyday stuff. And yet, there are two things that make them important: the persistence of the photographer, taking so many of them; and the fact that they *are* drab, everyday stuff. History usually misses the “common folks” because they don’t leave monuments behind. We know much of the Roman nobility- how about the Roman street sweepers? This record must be preserved, precisely because it is a detailed record of an ordinary life, a life made un-ordinary because of the record.
posted by Scott Hedrick on 5-4-2010 at 8:24 pm
Thank you so much for the post , I am starting a similiar project soon ,, but this is truly inspring . Amazing write up and amazing to see as many respond , all feeling the same way . Thank you again
posted by Azmi Jamal on 5-30-2010 at 11:17 am
Someone already mentioned this, but when I first read about this, the first thing I thought of was that the photographer must have seen the Harvey Keitel movie Smoke.
I was reading all of the Mental Floss lists online, and as often happens on the Internet, stumbled upon this very poignant story and set of photos.
posted by Evan on 6-1-2010 at 1:55 am
wow was really amazing to see this published on the internet very cool way to capture someones life caught in time every snapshot is different none the same time is fleeting…
thank you for the borrowed memories
@ken, dude chill out life’s not that bad :)
posted by Timbo on 6-21-2010 at 7:47 am
Amazing…thank you.
RIP Jamie Livingston
posted by Roxanne on 6-23-2010 at 11:35 pm
una vita fotografata quotidianamente fino alla fine! Incredibile, emozionante e triste!
posted by loretta on 6-26-2010 at 11:59 am
Of course this is awesome! I’m going to spread the word about Jamie’s legacy. Thanks for sharing.
posted by Oscar Camejo on 6-28-2010 at 9:24 pm
that is heartbreaking.
posted by Braxx on 7-7-2010 at 11:03 am
Ken your my hero !! rock on..
posted by medyum on 7-8-2010 at 9:55 am
wow….thanks for that and all the work you did
posted by D on 7-12-2010 at 4:25 am
That’s such a beautiful exhibition.
posted by Kelsey on 7-12-2010 at 2:29 pm
can you tell me the website? i’m so curious
posted by xeoz on 7-13-2010 at 3:50 pm
Thank you.
Thank you from my heart, the story is incredible and hard to believe. it’s like a movie made from pictures. It’s more then a movie, it’s a person real life.
I was really moved when I found this, so moved actually that I browsed trough the entire collection. It seems like he had an incredible life.
thank you again for pursuing this story and bringing it to us.
posted by ljetibo on 7-13-2010 at 4:11 pm
This is one amazing life documentary.
posted by Ms. Gina on 7-16-2010 at 2:29 am
Any contact details for anyone who knows a bit more about this?
posted by Misha Gamsu on 7-18-2010 at 12:33 pm
Thank you so much for posting this…To think that I might not have ever known about this project upsets me. Thank you.
posted by Sarah Samways on 7-22-2010 at 3:41 am
So as I am sitting reading this in between doing paper at work, my Zune, plays music that seems to go along with the mood of the whole thing, starts out with kind of whimsical Beatles music, I come back read more while beck plays a moderately happy up beat song and as i get the bottom of the article just as read about him having cancer my Zune very appropriately plays Lenard Cohen’s Sisters of Mercy. Very creep that my player mimics the mood of the photographer as I read the article…
posted by RB on 7-27-2010 at 1:52 pm
I remember something similar to this, except I think it was a family who took portraits every year on the same day. There’s something so very precious about photos like these. Really glad I stumbled upon this :)
posted by David Peterson Garcia on 7-28-2010 at 12:00 pm
a man who found a way to leave his footprints in the world untill the end of time
posted by tal can on 7-28-2010 at 12:30 pm
a man who found a way to leave his footprints in the world untill the end of time
posted by guzel sozler on 7-30-2010 at 1:35 pm
inspirational.
posted by Eleanor on 8-1-2010 at 10:17 am
His spouse is a friend of mine, and I knew her when he was dying. They’d been together for a long time and were in love. Pity played no part.
posted by Rick Prelinger on 8-1-2010 at 12:14 pm
Too coincidental? Just finished watching the Fountain and then clicked on a friend’s twitter link to this page…
posted by Tom Creo on 8-1-2010 at 3:15 pm
Hm, sounds like a viral commercial for something.
posted by Doubtful on 8-1-2010 at 3:48 pm
wish i’d thought of that. brilliant idea. epic story. legend created.
posted by DC on 8-1-2010 at 3:53 pm
Amazing stuff. Poignant for me as he died the same exact day as my mother. I wish I had a photo of her for the 18 years preceding her death.
posted by Crystal on 8-1-2010 at 3:57 pm
@Doubtful – I assure you, this is not marketing of any kind, viral or otherwise. Please feel free to dig into the two-year history of this blog post, its vetting and reportage by the CBC, NY Times, FOX News, The Guardian, and countless others.
This is the story of a man’s life and his friends’ work to preserve the legacy he left behind. That’s it. There’s no ulterior motive, and I’m disappointed that you’d think there was. But oh well, I suppose it’s hard to trust the internet.
If you’re interested in the behind-the-scenes story of this post, check out Spark (a CBC radio show) episode number 42, which features interviews with Hugh Crawford, Betsy Reid, and myself. Also keep an eye out for an upcoming NPR story on their photo blog.
posted by Chris Higgins on 8-1-2010 at 5:14 pm
It the most touching set of photos I could ever do, a beautiful legacy
posted by Paula Curd on 8-1-2010 at 5:38 pm
It should have read ” the most touching set of photos one could ever take” and a beautiful legacy, something to remember you by.
posted by Paula Curd on 8-1-2010 at 5:42 pm
Thank you so much for sharing such a beautiful story. Love your translation of events and hearing the summary… love how the pictures told a story without saying a word. PictureSpeak.
posted by Dale on 8-1-2010 at 6:39 pm
wow, i wish i could do that
posted by sir jorge on 8-1-2010 at 8:24 pm
wow i think i want to do this. much love man and RIP
posted by cristina on 8-2-2010 at 3:32 am
Wow. Thank you for doing the work to investigate this. Such a powerful collection and story!
posted by Trish on 8-2-2010 at 5:49 pm
thanks for your kindness to share this project..
It make me have an inspiration in my life. ^^
posted by cin on 8-3-2010 at 12:05 am
Amazing story, amazing man. Thank you for sharing his life with us.
posted by Bernadette on 8-3-2010 at 12:22 am
My friend and I are doing a “picture of the day.” I got to 84 days I think. This guy meant it! What a treasure, the man and the pictures!
posted by Dee on 8-3-2010 at 1:15 am
Amazing.
posted by Tdizz on 8-3-2010 at 7:46 am
Incredible story with a sad yet memorable ending.
posted by Shruti on 8-3-2010 at 11:55 am
That’s crazy that he died on his birthday. Fascinating and sad story! So many lives and stories in the world.. interesting that he documented his.
posted by vinny on 8-3-2010 at 5:09 pm
Thank you :). I am pleased to have had this cross my path in life today. It has left me with feeling’s that I have no word’s to really describe. Again , Thank – you for shareing this.
posted by lisa on 8-3-2010 at 5:36 pm
weerd. i should do that.
posted by franniebabes96 on 8-4-2010 at 6:25 am
incredible and touching story!!!
posted by Luis on 8-4-2010 at 10:01 am
Thank you
posted by Paul on 8-5-2010 at 5:26 pm
wow.. thank you for making my day.
posted by zurFreiheit on 8-10-2010 at 4:22 pm
Makes me wanna do something like this with an instax camera
posted by Instax on 8-14-2010 at 12:53 am
make’s jou thinke to feel sorry about jour self
posted by jogchum on 8-17-2010 at 7:39 pm
what a journey, a brief glimpse into the life of another.
very humbling
my love and thoughts to the family and thankyou for the privilege
arohanui kiakaha, kia ora.
Stephen from Tauranga New Zealand
posted by stephen alach on 8-23-2010 at 9:30 am
Simply Fantastic!
posted by Don Wiggins on 8-23-2010 at 8:14 pm
he died on my 8th birthday
posted by Kev on 8-24-2010 at 6:36 pm
I always thought if you went into chemothrerapy you lost all the hair but this man had a beard after you said he had chemo. Sorry please corect me if I’m wrong, that was all that made me doubt this story, otherwise very moving
posted by Holly on 8-25-2010 at 4:30 am
@Holly – the chemo was speculation on my part, as I was working just from the photos.
I do know that Livingston died from cancer, though I don’t know the details of his treatment. I know the cancer was on/in his head (I believe it was actually skin cancer, I seem to recall hearing that from Hugh at some point). He may have had radiation therapy instead of chemo, and that might account for the hair patterns. Or he may have had none of the above, and just shaved his head for easier access/visibility to the cancerous area. Dunno.
From a previous commenter in this thread:
“Adam, it’s not the chemo that makes hair fall out with a brain tumor. It’s the radiation. The radiation is specifically targeted and that’s where the hair falls out. My father had brain cancer (it killed him a year ago) and he lost his hair where the radiation hit, but he still had his eyebrows and facial hair and everything else.”
posted by Chris Higgins on 8-25-2010 at 12:32 pm
Weird.. the date it was clear he had cancer is my birthday. I would have been 5 years old on that day.
posted by Trevor on 8-27-2010 at 2:59 am
So Poloroids cause cancer?!?!
Great find, though.
posted by Greg on 8-30-2010 at 7:48 pm
I just finished reading this and I have to say, it is quite the inspiration. The picture near the end, where he is combing his bald head with the brush, got me good.
posted by Ujjval on 8-31-2010 at 2:19 am
wow.
posted by Chris on 8-31-2010 at 6:01 pm
unique, amaizing and beautiful. thank you for sharing so great life. rip
posted by Luis Daniel on 9-1-2010 at 9:05 pm
Just from the title I could see where this was going… a little bit morbid seeing a guy go from enjoying his life into his decline and inevitable death. Kind of a downer in the sense that we all are going to die some day even though when you are alive it feels like you will live forever. But on the other hand it makes you stop and appreciate what life you have left… and whats really important in life. hmmm Did anyone else feel like even though this showed only a few of the pictures because you saw his time-line when you see him die you feel more sad than if you saw just the picture of a guy in the hospital dying…
posted by Duke Blackthorne on 9-3-2010 at 5:47 am
hi,
is this website you mentioned a secret or could you disclose the URL? I’d be interested to see all photos.
in any case, thanks for sharing!
brunon
posted by brunon on 9-3-2010 at 6:24 am
@brunon – all the photos are here:
http://photooftheday.hughcrawford.com/
posted by Chris Higgins on 9-3-2010 at 11:14 am
Great series of images, beautiful and moving.
posted by The Illiterate Knife Rack on 9-3-2010 at 6:28 pm
truely moveing story,if there was a film made about this i and many others would probs watch it
ken be carefull what goes around
posted by scott on 9-5-2010 at 9:52 am
What a truly amazing story….
posted by Robert A on 9-6-2010 at 12:39 am
I enjoyed this story a lot. It really give you a different perspective on life, well it did for me at least. He seemed like a great man and he truely was a unique artist.
-Trinity F
posted by Trinity on 9-9-2010 at 4:55 pm
Beautiful
posted by Gaurav on 9-10-2010 at 2:06 am
This is FAKE. I counted all those polaroid boxes. A standard Polaroid box will hold 10 photos. If he had taken a photo a day he would be around 4380 photos. In the photo were all the Polaroid boxes are displayed there are only 180 Polaroid boxes, which would be around 1,800 photos. Also the likeliness of someone just “finding” this collection is rather impractical.
posted by RS on 9-13-2010 at 10:40 pm
RS – Thanks for the feedback, but I can assure you this is not fake. Perhaps if you’d read the article or followed the link to the full collection you would’ve found that out for yourself. But since you did not, let me tell you what’s up.
The photo showing the collection was from early 1991, and apparently only showed part of the collection (perhaps the number “12″ indicates that this is the 12th suitcase?)
If you had dug into the photos online, you’d see that at various occasions Livingston showed the entire collection, including repeatedly covering the floor of a basketball court with it for annual displays while he was alive. A good example is on 3-30-88, which you can find here (scroll down to 3-30-88 and click it):
http://photooftheday.hughcrawford.com/1988.htm#1988/1
Note that that’s 1988. He had nearly another ten years of photographs ahead of him.
Also you should notice from the article above that the description of each picture I found was my interpretation, without any information, of what was there. I had literally found the website the night before, and just guessed based on what I saw. I think you can find easy proof of the scope of Livingston’s project by, oh, I dunno, looking at the website with all the photos? Or doing a brief Google search to see all the media coverage this actual physical exhibit of more than 6,600 photos has received over the past two years.
The collection was curated by Livingston’s friends. I found their online collection before it was intended to be public. Sure, this was “rather impractical” in a lot of ways, but it happened and has been documented repeatedly. If you don’t believe me, read an interview with Hugh Crawford (one of the curators of the collection) here:
http://www.viceland.com/int/v16n2/htdocs/snap-happy-620.php
Or the audio interview with Crawford, myself, and Betsy Reid (the other curator) on Canadian Public Broadcasting, in which we discuss the entire process of how it was put online by them, publicly displayed by them, and how I found it online:
http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/15879
I hope I’ve demonstrated to you that this is in no way fake.
posted by Chris Higgins on 9-13-2010 at 11:43 pm
What a beautiful project! Really inspiring. Thanks for sharing!!!
posted by Cecilia Coelho on 9-14-2010 at 12:08 am
This is truly inspiring. Beautiful images. :)
posted by Moe on 9-14-2010 at 2:22 am
anyone noticed he died at his birthday?
posted by heron on 9-15-2010 at 1:37 pm
Odd…he started in 1979…and then died in 1997. on his birthday…..i dont believe in coincidences
posted by cody on 9-23-2010 at 6:15 pm
Fuji film production continues and the camera, looks like the future …
posted by anime on 10-6-2010 at 10:08 am
The day it he’s apparently got cancer (may 4) is my birthday o.0 this whole this is sooo interesting!!!
posted by Matt on 10-8-2010 at 2:21 pm
Ah, humanity…sometimes you really are something.
posted by Kelly Mc on 10-14-2010 at 2:07 pm
This is very moving, thank you for posting it and thereby acknowledging his daily visual log as true art – blood, sweat, and tears. There’s so many friends in his life!
I am struck by how many of the images show things that we now know are carcinogenic or encourage the spread of cancer. Refined sugar, booze, and the occasional cigarette. This is not a moral judgment! (I’m a cancer survivor.) I’m putting this out for education. Dr David Servan-Schreiber had a brain tumor, twice, then looked into prevention. (Bestseller book: “Anticancer.)
posted by Margaret on 10-20-2010 at 3:05 pm
Wow. This is insane. Truely the tale of a knight.
posted by Mitch on 10-24-2010 at 2:21 pm
This is really a story that has hurt me more than I thought any stranger’s story could…
I looked at all the pictures, one by one. And when I came to the final picture, of October 25th, 1997, I winced. Today is October 25th, 2010. I think I won’t be able to forget this.
posted by brenda on 10-25-2010 at 3:21 pm
Sad day today. I knew Jamie through Betsy. I always found this project remarkable and thanks to you, Bets and Hugh Crawford, a lot of other people do too!
posted by Michael Deane on 10-25-2010 at 4:28 pm
I’d actually seen this before, many years ago. I’d lost the bookmark. Thanks to you, I have that and much more!
posted by Richard on 10-29-2010 at 4:02 pm
thank you 4 this post, beautiful, shocking, expressive… loved it!
posted by marce on 11-2-2010 at 8:17 pm
this is absolutely amazing. it was really interesting to flip through the photographs, and i’m glad that you were able to figure out who this man was.
this really touched my heart, thank you for sharing.
posted by christina on 11-6-2010 at 3:00 am
Amazing post!!! Thanks for sharing…
posted by gheuntak on 11-10-2010 at 3:47 am
Stumbleupon!
This was a great find. to remember someone and their great life.
Thank you!
posted by karrie on 11-10-2010 at 10:03 am
just spectacular… caring and sweet.
posted by Addison on 11-18-2010 at 5:57 pm
Amazing story, even the numbers and dates are amazing.
1979-1997
born and died on the same date too…
posted by John on 11-18-2010 at 6:59 pm
was actually skin cancer, I seem to recall hearing that from Hugh at some point). He may have had radiation therapy instead of chemo, and that might account for the hair patterns. Or he may have had none of the above, and just shaved his head
posted by ankara nakliye on 11-26-2010 at 4:31 pm
This is absolutely amazing. Such a moving story. He has inspired me to quote on quote map my days, but now that the 600 speed film has been discontinued i’ve had to resort to the new camera with 300 speed film. the pictures are so tiny but they still have that nostalgic feeling. I have always loved polaroids, mind you I have over 500 of the 600 speed film. The timelessness of these kinds of photos make this mans exploration of his life in a visual way hit home even more. Simply put it is fantastic.
posted by margaretkay on 1-17-2011 at 10:54 pm
wow. His collection is amazing; he takes photographs of family, friends, signs, rooms, streets, etc. Well written.
I went to the blog, and then went to my birth date. It’s interesting to see what was going on in his life when mine was just coming into existence.
posted by DC on 1-20-2011 at 1:59 pm
this was simply amazing. i think that it would be a cool idea. ha ha. i dont have the patience for it of course, but it would be so cool to do. i may not have had anyone die like this but i was so touched. i mean, to have your friends put this on the internet in memory of you would be the ultimate gift. he’s probably looking down from heaven right now and smiling. just looking at all the people who’s lives he has touched. mine included. thank you so much for posting this. :)
~smile. its the first thing people notice and fall in love with.~
posted by Melanie on 1-22-2011 at 1:48 am
Thanks for sharing. What an interesting story.
posted by Drew on 1-24-2011 at 3:50 pm
very beautiful but sad. the last photograph where his friend is playing his guitar is my favorite:)
posted by emma on 1-27-2011 at 12:51 am
We members of the human race can be some really amazing creatures indeed. I wish him nothing but peace & happiness on the other side. Godspeed. & To the person who found them, thank you for sharing such an amazing treasure w/ the rest of us!
posted by Lady on 4-10-2011 at 11:38 am
This is amazing. I almost cried :(
posted by Aom on 4-10-2011 at 11:32 pm
Beautiful story! Amazing.
The site is working again: http://photooftheday.hughcrawford.com/
posted by Joleine on 4-13-2011 at 1:38 am
what a beautifully sad story.. I am really struggling to not be overcome at my desk…. oops, too late
posted by misch on 4-13-2011 at 2:06 am
I don’t even know the guy that took all those photos, but I found myself getting teary when you started talking about him getting cancer, then proposing to his girlfriend and getting married, and dying shortly after. It was heartbreaking to see him go through the pain of cancer, and I wasn’t there!
Last December I bought myself a Fujifilm Instax 7s polaroid camera for the purpose of doing Project 365 (Google the term for details). I figured it’d be more fun to do the project with a polaroid rather than a digital camera. Also, carrying that huge camera around would remind me to take a photo every day.
I’m only 103 days into my first time to do this project with polaroids, but I’ve already made it a goal to continue taking polaroids every day until Fujifilm stops producing them. I’d like to be able to tell my story through my photographs.
Thanks for sharing Jamie Livingston’s story.
posted by danineteen on 4-13-2011 at 2:19 am
I’m taking photo classes at school. I want to try doing this.
posted by M on 4-13-2011 at 3:58 am
this is such an amazing story. I was tearing up ready it.
posted by Khloe on 4-13-2011 at 5:41 am
what an artist and what a great find
posted by jeltsjacobs on 4-13-2011 at 8:11 am
Jamie Livingston was tweeting his life before Twitter existed. He must have been very creative. Looking at the Polaroids makes you loook into his soul. The last pictures are heartbreaking.
posted by Journalinda on 4-13-2011 at 8:31 am
Wow. This was very touching. Very inspiring too, to go forth and carpe diem with photography!
posted by medyum on 4-14-2011 at 12:49 pm
maybe he was trying to leave something behind when he died, and did this project throughout his life. this is very inspiring and sad at the same time, I am very moved. thanks for sharing.
posted by ceren on 4-17-2011 at 4:31 pm
I am in awe of what you have done for this man, Mr. Higgins. I truly hope, as I am sure EVERY person who has left a note here will agree, you deserve some Accolade or public credit for your Journalism in reporting this story. Thank you. *bow*
It is a wonderful and sad tribute to a man who will never know about it, but has touch the hearts and minds of many who will read it.
Thank you again.
posted by InAwe on 5-25-2011 at 10:57 am
@InAwe – thank you! Your note is truly appreciated.
posted by Chris Higgins on 5-25-2011 at 4:12 pm
Thank you for sharing :-)
posted by Jamie on 5-28-2011 at 2:51 am
What an amazing man! I am also amazed that this blog has been running for 3yrs. It goes to show what kind of an impact one life can have on so many others. Thank you Jamie Livingston for your lifes work.
posted by Mike on 5-31-2011 at 11:45 pm
he died two days after my birthday……the exact year….
posted by alyson on 6-3-2011 at 7:18 pm
what an amazing man! with such great passion and dedication for the one thing he loved.. Photography!!
posted by Priyanka on 6-6-2011 at 2:40 pm
umm… who cares?
posted by Ryan on 6-7-2011 at 11:51 am
thank you Chris for taking the time to find out the small little details that complete the “picture” (pun intended)
posted by Carla Fierro on 6-9-2011 at 8:06 pm
I want to do that to remember every day.
@Ryan obviously you care, you took the time to post a comment.
posted by Captain Obvious on 6-12-2011 at 3:36 pm
Thank you for sharing this amazing post! Brilliant way to document your life. Also, great work Chris! Very well written!
posted by Yash on 6-12-2011 at 6:14 pm
This is not just a great find but a great story of a passionate soul who lived his life’s passion. Thank you for sharing. It inspired me to take snapshot of my life.. it’s never too late, while his ended at 41 mine can just be starting.
posted by queenbeth on 6-17-2011 at 12:24 am
Just from the title I could see where this was going… a little bit morbid seeing a guy go from enjoying his life into his decline and inevitable death. Kind of a downer in the sense that we all are going to die some day even though when you are alive it feels like you will live forever. But on the other hand it makes you stop and appreciate what life you have left… and whats really important in life. hmmm Did anyone else feel like even though this showed only a few of the pictures because you saw his time-line when you see him die you feel more sad than if you saw just the picture of a guy in the hospital dying
posted by aşk muskası on 6-25-2011 at 5:36 pm
My friends, Demonica and I are addicted to STUMBLEUPON, and SHE came across this one and posted it to her FaceBook update. Naturaly, I looked, and to keep it simple, I’ll say what she said: “heartbreaking..i live for this kind of stuff…”. Thanks for finding this man, researching his life and works, sharing it with us, and reaching out to the world to inform us all about what kind of seemingly frivolous hobby can turn into something f***ing remarkable and moving. (I’m not calling it frivolous, by any means, but I’m sure Jamie got some negative feedback from friends or family at some point about his Polaroid life. Thanks, to all of you involved with this man, and may he R.I.P., still taking Polaoroids, except this time- he doesn’t have to pay for film. :)
Peace on Earth and Thank You,
D’Arcy
posted by DarcyLaVigne on 7-3-2011 at 12:21 am
My friends, Demonica and I are addicted to STUMBLEUPON, and SHE came across this one and posted it to her FaceBook update. Naturaly, I looked, and to keep it simple, I’ll say what she said: “heartbreaking..i live for this kind of stuff…”. Thanks for finding this man, researching his life and works, sharing it with us, and reaching out to the world to inform us all about what kind of seemingly frivolous hobby can turn into something f***ing remarkable and moving. (I’m not calling it frivolous, by any means, but I’m sure Jami
posted by nizoral on 7-27-2011 at 5:35 am
Many of these Polaroids are fascinating and exceptional INDIVIDUAL works of art.
Look at 08-09-86…it’s brilliant.
posted by Victor on 8-5-2011 at 5:28 pm
Further observations:
The real credit goes to Hugh Crawford and Betsy Reid who took on the meticulous task of bringing this project together. Chris…has NPR ever featured this story?
It’s ironic that Jamie’s project ended up showcased on the Internet and appreciated by the masses in the digital age. Jamie was doing his “photo a day” before it was fashionable and easy. I have such fond memories of the analog world. These images take me back to the days of Tretorn tennis shoes and Adidas brown suede sneakers and tight shorts, the Sony Walkman, type writers and carbon paper. This is American cultural history at its best.
These Polaroid colors are just unmatched. How I wish todays digital cameras could replicate this look. No, the iphone Hipstamatic does NOT do it.
Jamie and friends were very creative. They had a knack for interesting composition and finding quality light.
For me, these images represent the most interesting and impressive photographic project I’ve ever had the pleasure of viewing.
posted by Victor on 8-5-2011 at 7:44 pm
Amazing. I once read where a man would have every person he met sign a notebook. I think these are just super creative.
posted by cstorm on 8-16-2011 at 4:09 am
Victor – there has been some talk with several NPR programs about this. To my knowledge they have not covered it, though the CBC has. I’ve got some friends at various NPR shows (I’m a This American Life contributor, for example) and am working with Hugh on a pitch, so stay tuned. Some interviews were taped with Hugh, Betsy, and me in 2008 about the project, though that tape may or may not be relevant.
FWIW, I think your comment about this analog-to-digital transition is spot on, but I would add — the Polaroid itself (particularly the SX-70, which was “pocket-sized” at least for its era) was a technological innovation, as were all the Land cameras and Polaroid’s instant-results photography. So in a sense, what Livingston noticed in the late 70′s was that he now had the technology and means to do a portable, instant-results photo-a-day project. (Although it must have been wickedly expensive to pay for and preserve all that Polaroid film.) Many people can do photo-a-day projects today using pocket phones/cameras/etc. What Livingston lacked was an easy means to publish his work. Today we all have access to basically free publishing *as well as* the super-cheap cameras.
So I see this story, looking back on it, as one partly of technology enabling art — the SX-70 was a serious enabling technology for Livingston, and the web came along much later, allowing that original work to be distributed. It is terribly sad that Livingston didn’t live to see his work celebrated like this, but at least the work was preserved and published by Hugh and Betsy.
I have not forgotten this story, and continue to work to bring it to a larger audience. Thanks for all the kind works, everybody!
posted by Chris Higgins on 8-26-2011 at 11:43 am
What a great find, such an interesting story and pictures.
posted by Lesley pattinson on 9-5-2011 at 5:56 am
He died on the same day of his birth…
posted by mac on 9-8-2011 at 6:53 pm
Jamie Livingstons’ IMDB (Internet Movie Data Base) page:
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0515253/filmotype
If you’re registered with IMDB you can post comments on his message board. There is one comment there.
posted by Tdave on 9-22-2011 at 11:34 am
Thank you for finding these pictures and writing about this man. It’s inspiring. He seemed creative, talented and loved by his friends & family. I hope he enjoyed his short life.
posted by Anu Srivastav on 10-26-2011 at 2:35 pm
I think that was a sad,wonderful,dramatic,and surprising.Only if I could write stuff about that.
(AMAZING)
Love,
Kathryn Heckel
posted by Kathryn Heckel on 11-1-2011 at 3:28 pm
What a beautiful way to record a life; sharing it is a wonderful tribute and work of love from those who knew him. Someone said he “died in obscurity” like they will. I disagree. No one who is truly loved dies in obscurity.
posted by Adrienne on 11-2-2011 at 3:42 pm
Beautiful, thank you for sharing!
posted by Drea on 11-3-2011 at 1:30 pm
This is…….amazing. I’m at a loss for words.
posted by Kelly on 11-6-2011 at 9:49 pm
Thanks for reminding me of this.
posted by Mark on 11-13-2011 at 5:46 pm
wow. i tried do convince my grandpa to let me photocopy his photos (about 500), but he wouldn’t let me! :C
posted by Travis_Heiberger on 11-17-2011 at 8:17 pm
This has inspired me to start my own daily photo project =) it is amazing to find greatness in simple daily life, which is seen as mundane by so many of us…until the end is near…
I started my project because I want to start seeing every day for what it truly is: A BLESSING!!! =)
http://vida-en-fotos.tumblr.com/
posted by Maria @latinAbroad on 11-22-2011 at 3:36 pm
Thank you for bringing this most fascinating life project of Jamie Livingston to my attention. It reminds me a bit of Erkki Kurenniemi, the Finnish avantgarde musician, who is documenting each and every detail of his life with video and audio recordings and has been doing so from the early 1980s on. It makes you wonder why both men at around the same time felt the need to make a (possible) back-up of their respective lives.
posted by Quisquilia on 12-6-2011 at 1:13 pm
I’ve seen where people post a “photo of the day” (usually of themself) either on facebook or on a website. It is apparently a popular pastime. Jamie Livingston may very well have started that whole movement. I think it’s a fitting tribute.
posted by TED on 1-14-2012 at 3:20 am