The story of a man who filmed every day on Polaroid for 18 years until cancer stole his life
Categories: Photo project
By Pictolic https://pictolic.com/article/the-story-of-a-man-who-filmed-every-day-on-polaroid-for-18-years-until-cancer-stole-his-life.htmlUnfortunately, Jamie Livingston is no more, but his incredibly intimate and truly vital photo project is a guarantee that he will not be forgotten. This project started on March 31, 1979. A native New Yorker and college student took a photo on his Polaroid. Then he took a photo every day for the next 18 years. He kept this tradition until the day of his death in 1997.
Armed with a Polaroid SX-70 camera, Livingston documented every aspect of everyday life: his friends and relatives, his own work as a photographer and director, ordinary events on the streets of New York.
In the later stages, the photo project becomes more closed to the author himself: Livingston talks about his struggle with cancer after he was diagnosed in 1997. One of the pictures shows his scar after brain surgery. The audience gradually watches his hair fall out, then he presents his girlfriend with an engagement ring. This happens just a few weeks before October 25, 1997, when he will die.
In total, Jamie Livingston's photo project contains six thousand photographs that represent a truly unique portrait of the life of a single person. We have selected some of the most poignant images from his collection. They were published on a website called Jamie Livingston: some photos of that day ("Jamie Livingston: Some pictures of that day"), created by his friends Betsy Reid and Hugh Crawford, who promised to keep the project alive even after the author's death. Let's be honest: it's impossible to look at the latest photos without having handkerchiefs at hand.
June 15, 1979: Self-portrait of Jamie Livingston.
March 31, 1979: the first picture in the project. There will be about six thousand more.
May 27, 1979: Jamie was a student at Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson.
March 31, 1980: Many of the pictures were taken in New York. This one is in the subway.
May 26, 1980: Jamie enjoyed filming his friends.
August 11, 1980.
June 13, 1981: Jamie was not only a director and photographer, but also a circus performer.
December 6, 1980: These photos don't have a specific theme. Some of them are abstract.
June 1, 1981: some are more thoughtful.
July 26, 1981: Others are just random shots.
March 7, 1982: Virtual reality glasses prototype?
April 11, 1982.
April 19, 1982.
July 18, 1982: Jamie went traveling in Europe in the summer of 1982.
July 22, 1982: This picture was taken in France.
November 14, 1982.
January 1, 1983: New Year.
January 21, 1983: It's Jamie at work. He worked as a director and editor of music videos at the dawn of the existence of MTV.
April 3, 1984: By this time Jamie had over 1,500 photos.
May 5, 1984.
August 3, 1984.
May 8, 1985: Mirrors are a common motif in his photographs.
June 27, 1985.
September 3, 1985.
March 13, 1986.
April 29, 1986: Jamie was a fan of the Mets baseball club. In the photo, he is buying tickets with a friend.
August 9, 1986.
September 23, 1986: Some of his pictures are very personal.
December 12, 1986.
December 27, 1986.
March 30, 1988: Jamie laid out all his photos. By this point, he has thousands of them.
June 7, 1988.
January 30, 1989.
July 2, 1989: Among other talents, Jamie could play the accordion.
July 7, 1990.
December 7, 1990: fooling around while buying a Christmas tree.
December 8, 1990: someone had a great idea.
March 5, 1991.
April 9, 1991: baseball tickets.
March 13, 1994: Although Jamie is present in many photos, rarely where he smiles.
March 28, 1994.
November 8, 1995.
January 2, 1996: Sometimes it is unclear who exactly is holding the camera.
June 26, 1996: Twin Towers.
December 5, 1996.
February 7, 1997: "Star Wars" was re-released in theaters for the 20th anniversary of the film's release.
February 13, 1997: fell fast asleep in bed.
April 25, 1997.
May 2, 1997: Jamie's health began to deteriorate in May 1997. He was diagnosed with cancer.
May 4, 1997: he had to undergo surgery, as can be seen from the scar on his head.
May 8, 1997.
June 2, 1997: self-portrait.
June 24, 1997: Medications became commonplace in his life.
July 19, 1997.
July 29, 1997: Jamie's hair falls out due to chemotherapy.
August 13, 1997.
August 20, 1997: Friends visit him in the hospital.
August 21, 1997.
September 11, 1997: Jamie's hair gradually begins to grow back.
September 29, 1997: but he is still very ill.
October 5, 1997: he decided to propose to his girlfriend. It is visible in the background.
October 7, 1997: Jamie and his wife on their wedding day.
October 10, 1997.
October 20, 1997: A little after the wedding, Jamie's health deteriorates.
October 24, 1997: A friend plays guitar for Jamie in the hospital.
October 25, 1997: Jamie's last photo. He died on his 41st birthday.
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