A week after more than 6,000 fans and friends signed a petition calling for New York Mayor Bill de Blasio to name a Fifth Avenue and 57th Street corner in honor of Bill Cunningham, the mayor will do just that – if only for a while. But Mayor de Blasio hopes to find other ways to honor the icon: “Bill Cunningham turned our sidewalks into runways and New Yorkers into models”, he said in a statement.
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The intersection was one of Cunningham’s favorite spots, and he could be found there most mornings in his blue workman’s jacket snapping shots of passers-by. McCray credited the photographer for exporting one of the Big Apple’s finest qualities – its unique sense of style – and for his role in democratising fashion.
The New York Landmarks Conservancy named Cunningham a living landmark in 2009. Deputy mayor Alicia Glen, former Met Costume Institute curator Harold Koda, and New York Times executive editor Dean Baquet will all be present at the conference to formally unveil a new street sign and honor Cunningham’s contributions to fashion and street photography.
“He would also be truly humbled”, said Baquet.
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He worked for the New York Times since 1978, capturing everyday life on the street and detailing changes in fashion trends. “We knew that a temporary street naming was a logical first step in the creation of a permanent memorial”. However , WWD reports that a longer-lasting tribute to Cunningham is in the works.
