A DAY IN THE LIFE

Poignant photos show the man who took a Polaroid every day for 18 YEARS until the day he died of cancer at just 41

Jamie Livingston's incredible collection contains 6,000 images in total

THESE heartbreaking images showcase the life of a man who took a Polaroid photo every day until he tragically died of cancer when he was 41.

New York photographer Jamie Livingston started the unique project in 1979, when he had the idea of documenting his friends, family and day-to-day adventures in the city.

Jamie Livingston
A self-portrait of New York-based photographer Jamie Livingston who took a Polaroid picture every day for 18 years

His first image in the 6,000-image collection was taken March 31, 1979 of his then-girlfriend and a friend

Jamie Livingston
Much of his work showcases the city of New York, like this one in the subway on March 31, 1980

Jamie Livingston
On June 31, 1981, he took this shot of his work as a filmaker and circus performer

What started as hobby quickly became an obsession, and he continued his fascinating collection for the next 18 years.

Six thousand shots down the line, the project tragically stops in October 1997, with the last shot being Jamie in hospital surrounded by loved ones.

The first image in the poignant collection is of his girlfriend at the time, Mindy Goldstein, and a friend on March 31, 1979, when he was a college student.

Jamie Livingston
Some of the images show his relationships and friendships that came and went over the years. This sunbathing shot was taken on June 1, 1981

Jamie Livingston
A cheeky shot on July 26, 1981, revealed the photographer without clothes

Jamie Livingston
A beach shot during a summer trip to Europe, captured on July 18, 1982

Jamie Livingston
Jamie included a picture of himself at work on January 21, 1983. It shows the office space of the music video editor in the early days of MTV

This beautiful sunflower shot was taken on June 27, 1985

One of the pictures shows this intimate love note, which was taken on September 23, 1986

We then see the photographer chart his life from the age of 23, seeing relationships that come and go and the friendships that last for his lifetime.

His series perfectly captures a New York that is metamorphosising into a cleaner, more modern metropolis.

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One of the Polaroids features the photographer posing outside of the Twin Towers in 1996.

With his Polaroid SX-70 in tow, Jamie captured a unique life portrait that emphasises his colourful and varied life, inside and outside of work.

Towards the end of his life and photo project, we see his battle with cancer taking over his life, with images showing his hair falling out and the photographer having to take medication.

The entire collection to date on March 30, 1988

Jamie took this shot of the Twin Towers on June 26, 1996

Jamie Livingston
Heartbreaking shots show the time period when medication became part of his life. This picture was taken on June 24, 1997

 

Happy moments peppered in with the treatment show his engagement ring after proposing to his girlfriend, and the couple pictured on their wedding day.

The full collection has been uploaded to a website called “” by his friends Betsy Reid and Hugh Crawford.

We previously covered stunning wildlife photographs that showed animals silhouetted in the African. sun.

We also featured incredible black and white photographs showing the wild side of life in 1970s New York… from kids dressed as glam rock stars to men parading in swimming trunks.

Jamie Livingston
Friends visit him in hospital on August 20, 1997

Jamie Livingston
The New Yorker shared this picture of his treatment on August 21, 1997

Jamie Livingston
On September 11, 1997, Jamie took this image of his hair starting to grow back after his treatment

Jamie Livingston
One of the collection show the ring he used to propose to his girlfriend. It was taken on October 5, 1997

Jamie Livingston
Jamie and his wife on their wedding day on October 7, 1997

Jamie Livingston
Jamie’s final picture in the collection, taken on October 25, 1997. He passed away on his 41st birthday
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