This Man Took A Polaroid Every Day For 18 Years Until The Day He Died, And It’ll Break Your Heart
Jamie Livingston is sadly no longer with us, but his incredibly intimate photography project will ensure that he’ll never be forgotten.
The project began on March 31st 1979, when the native New Yorker (and then college student) took a single photograph. He then took a picture every day for the next 18 years, a tradition he maintained right until the day he died in 1997. Armed with a Polaroid SX-70, Livingston went about documenting every facet of his daily life, from friends, family and relationships, to his job as a filmmaker and photographer and the everyday happenings on the streets of New York.
The latter stages of his project became more introspective as he documented his battle with cancer following his diagnosis in 1997. We see the scar from his brain surgery, we see his hair fall out, and we see the engagement ring that he gave to his girlfriend just weeks before he passed away on October 25th 1997. Jamie left behind a project comprised of over 6,000 pictures, and in them he left a truly remarkable life portrait unlike any other.
See below for some of our favorite pictures from his incredible collection. They were uploaded to a website called “Jamie Livingston: some photos of that day” by Betsy Reid and Hugh Crawford, two friends of Jamie’s who promised to keep his project alive after his death. Be sure to check out the entire collection if you ever get the chance. Just keep a box of tissues handy.
More info: Jamie Livingston: Some photos of that day
June 15, 1979: Self-portrait of Jamie Livingston
March 31, 1979: First photo of the project. He eventually took over 6,000
May 27, 1979: Jamie was a student at Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson
March 31, 1980: Many pictures were taken in New York. This one was taken on the subway
May 26, 1980: He also liked to take pictures of his friends
August 11, 1980:
June 13, 1981: As well as a film maker and photographer, Jamie was also a circus performer
December 6, 1980: There is no particular theme to his pictures. Some of them are abstract
June 1, 1981: Some are more thoughtful
July 26, 1981: And some are downright random
March 7, 1982: Early virtual reality?
April 11, 1982:
April 19, 1982:
July 18, 1982: He took a trip to Europe in the summer of 1982
July 22, 1982: This picture was taken in France
November 14, 1982:
January 1, 1983: New Year’s Day
January 21, 1983: This is Jamie at work. He was a cinematographer and music video editor back in the early days of MTV
April 3, 1984: By this time Jamie would have had over 1,500 pictures
May 5, 1984:
August 3, 1984:
May 8, 1985: Mirrors are a common theme in his photographs
June 27, 1985:
September 3, 1985:
March 13, 1986:
April 29, 1986: Jamie was a Mets fan. Here’s him buying tickets with a friend
August 9, 1986:
September 23, 1986: Some of his photographs feel incredibly intimate
December 12, 1986:
December 27, 1986:
March 30, 1988: He lays all out his photographs. By now he has thousands of them
June 7, 1988:
January 30, 1989:
July 2, 1989: As well as his many other talents, Jamie was also an accordion player
July 7, 1990:
December 7, 1990: Goofing around while shopping for Christmas trees
December 8, 1990: Somebody having a bright idea
March 5, 1991:
April 9, 1991: Baseball tickets
March 13, 1994: Although Jamie appears in many pictures, he’s rarely seen smiling
March 28, 1994
November 8, 1995:
January 2, 1996: Sometimes it’s not clear who exactly is behind the camera
June 26, 1996: The Twin Towers
December 5, 1996:
February 7, 1997: Star Wars, re-released in cinemas for its 20th anniversary
February 13, 1997: Passed out in bed
April 25, 1997:
May 2, 1997: Jamie’s health begins to deteriorate in May 1997. He is diagnosed with cancer
May 4, 1997: He has to have surgery, as seen by this scar on his head
May 8, 1997:
June 2, 1997: Self-portrait
June 24, 1997: Medication becomes a regular part of his life
July 19, 1997:
July 29, 1997: Jamie’s chemotherapy causes him to lose his hair
August 13, 1997:
August 20, 1997: Friends visit him in hospital
August 21, 1997:
September 11, 1997: His hair slowly starts to grow back
September 29, 1997: But Jamie is still seriously ill
October 5, 1997: He decides to propose to his girlfriend. You can see her in the background
October 7, 1997: Jamie and his wife on their wedding day
October 10, 1997:
October 20, 1997: Not long after his wedding, Jamie’s health gets worse
October 24, 1997: A friend plays music for him in the hospital
October 25, 1997: Jamie’s final picture. He died on his 41st birthday
It's the simple and silly. Pictures that draw you in.make you feel like you've known him and that makes the last few so tragic. I feel like I lost a friend. 💙
I feel the same...</3
Makes you think ! Life is for living.every single day !
Yes i agree with you.....life is one so enjoy every moments of it
Life is a blink
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
obviously, what's the alternative, dying every day?
Even though it is pretty normal for today, I felt like I was peeping on his private life. Maybe it is because those pictures, taken by polaroid machine, were meant to exist only one instance and not definitely for mass presentation like this. I couldnt help but feel disturbed.
Jamie allowed it, though. His friends had promised him to publicize the photos after his death, in his final days, so the project could be seen by the world.
Then why did you look? He was a filmmaker, this is art.
I felt the same.
I agree
felt like a peeking tom
It's the simple and silly. Pictures that draw you in.make you feel like you've known him and that makes the last few so tragic. I feel like I lost a friend. 💙
I feel the same...</3
Makes you think ! Life is for living.every single day !
Yes i agree with you.....life is one so enjoy every moments of it
Life is a blink
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
obviously, what's the alternative, dying every day?
Even though it is pretty normal for today, I felt like I was peeping on his private life. Maybe it is because those pictures, taken by polaroid machine, were meant to exist only one instance and not definitely for mass presentation like this. I couldnt help but feel disturbed.
Jamie allowed it, though. His friends had promised him to publicize the photos after his death, in his final days, so the project could be seen by the world.
Then why did you look? He was a filmmaker, this is art.
I felt the same.
I agree
felt like a peeking tom