New York Historical Society becomes permanent repository for esteemed street photographer Bill Cunningham's collection.
New York Historical Society Acquires Bill Cunningham's Photography Archive
The New York Historical Society has announced the acquisition of Bill Cunningham's photography archive, securing a permanent, accessible home for tens of thousands of his photographs and personal items. This landmark collection, spanning decades of Cunningham’s work, offers a unique perspective on New York street fashion and life.
Cunningham, a character in New York, famously rode a bicycle through the city's streets wearing his iconic blue jacket, transforming street fashion photography into a form of cultural anthropology. His candid, vibrant portraits of everyday people and fashion trends from the 1970s until his death in 2016 have had a profound impact on the history of street photography.
The archive, which encompasses approximately 600 linear feet of material, includes negatives, slides, contact sheets, prints, correspondence, and ephemera. It also contains three decades of Met Gala photographs, fashion show coverage from New York and Paris, and notebooks from Cunningham's early days in Paris during the 1960s.
The archive's location at The New York Historical Society, near Central Park West where much of Cunningham’s work was created, situates the collection in a relevant cultural and geographic context. This will allow public access and academic research that will further illuminate the significance of street photography in documenting societal changes.
An in-depth exhibition is planned by The New York Historical to showcase both the newly acquired archive and existing museum pieces, including Cunningham's famous blue jacket and bicycle. Cunningham's work will be accessible to researchers and scholars for decades to come due to the creation of the archive.
Cunningham was a Harvard dropout and had previously made a name for himself as a designer of women's hats. He first came to the attention of The New York Times thanks to a 1978 photo of Greta Garbo. His clients included Marilyn Monroe, Katharine Hepburn, and future First Lady Jacqueline Bouvier. Cunningham used an Olympus Pen-D 35mm camera, which is now part of the New York Historical's collection.
Patricia Simonson, Cunningham's niece, emphasized the appropriateness of the archive's new home at The New York Historical, made possible by a gift from trustee Sally Klingenstein Martell. The New York Historical, a museum and library founded in 1804, has acquired Cunningham's complete archive.
Tom May, a freelance writer and editor specializing in art, photography, design, and travel, has written extensively about Cunningham's work. May has worked for a wide range of mainstream titles including The Sun, Radio Times, NME, T3, Heat, Company, and Bella. He has also been editor of Professional Photography magazine, associate editor at Creative Bloq, and deputy editor at net magazine.
The acquisition of Bill Cunningham's photography archive not only preserves and legitimizes his unique vision, but also cements his role in the history of street photography. His work continues to inform and inspire future generations of photographers, historians, and fashion scholars.
- The New York Historical Society has acquired Bill Cunningham's photography archive, housing his Olympus Pen-D 35mm camera, which he used extensively in his work.
- Cunningham's portfolio, including his fashion-and-beauty, travel, and lifestyle photographs, provides a vibrant record of New York street fashion and life from the 1970s to 2016.
- The archive, brimming with negatives, slides, prints, correspondence, and ephemera, also includes three decades of Met Gala photographs and fashion show coverage from New York and Paris.
- The archive's location at The New York Historical Society allows public access and academic research, further highlighting the significance of street photography in documenting societal changes.
- Tom May, a renowned freelance writer and editor specializing in art, photography, design, and travel, has written extensively about Cunningham's work, continuing to inspire future generations of photographers and scholars.
