Savinien Caracostea, Bill Cunningham, (part of the Friends Series), December 2014
Bill Cunningham (1929-2016) was one of New York’s most beloved public figures. A man of unquenchable creativity with a tirelessly inquisitive mind, he was equally passionate about politics and art, and maintained an unstinting devotion to his close friends.
Antonio Alvarez,Bill Cunningham photographing Tziporah Salamon, 2011,Courtesy Antonio Alvarez
New Yorkers could reliably spot Bill Cunningham photographing street fashion, on foot and on his bicycle, at the corner of Fifth Avenue and Fifty-Seventh Street. After his death, both his personal acquaintances and the many avid readers of his column felt his loss equally.
William J. Beach hat, 1960; label,ca. 1960 Raffia, velvet, silk, rooster feathers, wire, silk; grosgrain Purchase, Coaching Club Acquisitions Fund, New-York Historical Society, 2017.63.1-.2
Cunningham began his long career in New York as a milliner. His stylish “William J.” hats mingled innovative forms with naturalistic ornament. Elegant and whimsical, his hats were favored by upscale clients who enjoyed wearing fashionable works of art. Cunningham’s beach hats were, in his own words, “a bit outrageous.” Woven raffia show-stoppers topped with cascading sprays of feathers or chiffon, the hats sported deep crowns created to fit comfortably over the high-piled bouffant hairstyles of the early 1960s.
Unidentified photographer, Bill Cunningham Photographing Five Models, ca. 1968-76, Gelatin silver print, New-York Historical Society Library, Gift of Bill Cunningham
A study in New York social history, Cunningham’s Facades project highlighted over 1,800 locations occupied by the city’s old and stately or sleek, modern buildings. Set amidst 1960s and 1970s New York, the series featured his muse, Editta Sherman, modeling period clothing. Cunningham mined the city’s thrift shops, auctions, and street fairs for the nearly 500 ensembles of antique clothing, shoes, and other accessories selected to enliven each historic location.
Unidentified photographer, Bill Cunningham with camera, October 1974, New-York Historical Society Library, Melanie Tinnelly, Collection of Photographs of or by Bill Cunningham and Toni “Suzette” Cimino.
Cunningham’s career as a photojournalist began in 1966. While in London covering fashion for the Chicago Tribune, he met the distinguished photographer, David Montgomery. Cunningham told the photographer about his interest in photographing the styles he observed at fashion shows. Several months later, Montgomery gave him this camera to record his observations.