Photographers discovered after their death

Reading recently about Vivian Maiers, absolutely love her work. It got me thinking I know a lot of artists have been “discovered” after their death, but have there been instances of other photographers or is Vivian Maiers unique in regards to this ?

<p>One name that comes to mind is Eugene Atget - he made a living from photography in his lifetime but on a basic level supplying images as raw material for artists. He became famous only after his death when the American photographer Berenice Abbott bought up his archive and hailed him as a primitive (i.e. unschooled) genius.</p>

<a href= "http://www.disfarmer.com/">Mike (not a farmer) Disfarmer.</a> A portrait photographer I admire

a lot.

<p>Photographer Lee Friedlander discovered the work of E.J. Bellocq- portraits of New Orleans prostitutes from the early 1900s- and brought the work to international attention:</p>

<p><a href="http://www.corpse.org/archives/issue_10/gallery/bellocq/index.htm">http://www.corpse.org/archives/issue_10/gallery/bellocq/index.htm</a></p>

<p>I have a feeling that Helen Levitt was not discovered until she had died.</p>

<p>Helen Levitt was known, but not as well known as some others.</p>