Today we are celebratg the life and legacy of William (Bill) Gay Cunngham.
Contents:
- ?WILLIAM (BILL) GAY CUNNGHAM
- OBUARY: CUNNGHAM, WILLIAM (BILL) GAY
- RIP BILL CUNNGHAM, MASTER PHOTOGRAPHER AND GODFATHER OF STREET STYLESUPREMEBILL CUNNGHAM, WHO HAS DIED AGED 87, CHRONICLED THE PARTYG AND SCHMOOZG OF THE FASHNABLE AND WEALTHY--BUT HE WAS MOST ENGAGED BY THE BUZZ AND STYLE OF THE STREETS.TIM TEEMANSENR EDOR AND WRERLLOYD GROVEUPDATED APR. 13, 2017 3:39PM EDT / PUBLISHED JUN. 26, 2016 7:14AM EDT ALAMYON VALENTE'S DAY, AT HER MEATPACKG DISTRICT HQ, DIANE VON FURSTENBERG HELD HER NEW YORK FASHN WEEK SHOW. THE BETIFUL PEOPLE CIRCULATED WH GLASS OF CHAMPAGNE, DVF (DISCLOSURE: THE SIGNER IS MARRIED TO BARRY DILLER, WHO IS CHAIRMAN OF IAC, THE PARENT PANY OF THE DAILY BEAST) HAD HER OWN MI SUPERMOL DIS PARTY UPSTAIRS, WH KENDALL JENNER, GIGI HADID, KARLIE KLOSS, JOURDAN DUNN, LILY ALDRIDGE, AND IRA SHAYK.AT THE BOTTOM OF THE DVF HQ STAIRSE STOOD THE NEW YORK TIM'S BILL CUNNGHAM, CLAD A PADD BLUE WTER AT AND HIS UAL CHOS, CLUTCHG HIS 35MM MERA. HE WAS TAKG PICTUR OF THE FAMO AND THE EXTREMELY PRETTY, NIMBLY SI-STEPPG AROUND THE CSH TO GET THE BT SHOT, A BEAMG SE ALTERNATG WH A LOOK OF BEADY NCENTRATN. FET ALL THE FLUTTERG SUPERMOLS AND FASHN-FOLK: CUNNGHAM, A STAR NOT JT OF THE FASHN WORLD BUT ALSO NEW YORK, WAS THE CENTER OF ATTENTN THAT EVENG, AND WAS SURROUND BY PEOPLE OFFERG THEIR GREETGS AND HUGS. IT LOOKED AS IF HE WOULD RATHER JT GET ON WH THE JOB. HE WAS BEG PHOTOGRAPHED, AND LNIZED AND LEAPT UPON AS MUCH AS THE PEOPLE HE WAS PHOTOGRAPHG.ON SATURDAY, WAS ANNOUNCED THAT THE MUCH-LOVED CUNNGHAM HAD DIED, AGED 87, AFTER SUFFERG A STROKE. AN ELOQUENT AND RICHLY TAILED OBUARY THE NEW YORK TIM BY JAB BERNSTE SUMMARIZED CUNNGHAM'S MANY ACHIEVEMENTS, NOT LEAST-- 2009--BEG MA A LIVG LANDMARK BY THE NEW YORK LANDMARKS CONSERVANCY.IT WAS QUE SOMETHG TO OBSERVE CUNNGHAM AT WORK, AT PARTI, OR AT FASHN SHOWS, OR ON THE STREET. IN MY PICTUR OF CUNNGHAM THAT NIGHT AT DVF'S SHOW, FOR EXAMPLE, CUNNGHAM KNOWS PEOPLE ARE WATCHG HIM, BUT HIS EXPRSN--AND HIS OWN RISTANCE TO POSG--SHOWS HE WOULD MUCH RATHER GET ON WH THE JOB THAT MA HIS NAME: DOCUMENTG FASHN AND THE FASHNABLE, OR WHAT HE EMED THOSE THGS TO BE.CUNNGHAM WOULD SOT ABOUT TOWN ON A BICYCLE, DO ANYTHG TO GET THE PERFECT SHOT, AND OFTEN STATNED HIMSELF AT 5TH AVENUE AND 57TH STREET TO PHOTOGRAPH THOSE WHO WOULD LATER APPEAR HIS 'ON THE STREET' LUMN THE STYL SECTN OF THE TIM. (THE GALAS AND SWANKY EVENTS OF THE EVENG ME UNR THE HEADG 'EVENG HOURS.')DEAN BAQUET, EXECUTIVE EDOR OF THE NEW YORK TIM, TOLD THE DAILY BEAST THAT CUNNGHAM HAD HAD A STROKE "MAYBE 10 DAYS AGO. HE WAS WORKG FE UNTIL THEN."BERNSTE TOLD THE DAILY BEAST THAT CUNNGHAM'S FORMIDABLE WORK ETHIC NTUED UP TO WHEN HE HAD THE STROKE: "IN THE LAST SIX MONTHS HE WAS STILL ATTENDG THREE, FOUR EVENTS A NIGHT. HE WOULD E TO THE OFFICE AND GREET ALL WH 'HELLO KIDS.' THERE WAS A GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO DOTED ON HIM. HE WORKED ALL THE WAY TO THE END."STUART EMMRICH, THE EDOR OF THE NEW YORK TIM' STYL SECTN, TOLD THE DAILY BEAST: "BILL WAS A TOWERG FIGURE THE FASHN WORLD, BUT ONE WH REMARKABLE HUY AND GENEROSY OF SPR. "ONCE, WHEN CHANEL EXPLIBLY GAVE ME A BETTER SEAT THAN HIM, HE SHYLY ASKED ME IF I WOULD CHANGE PLAC SO HE WOULD BE ABLE TO BETTER PHOTOGRAPH THE NWAY. "I SAID, 'OF URSE,' AND AFTER WE SWAPPED PLAC, HE LOOKED UP AT ME, GRNED AND TOOK MY PICTURE. IT WAS THE HIGHLIGHT OF MY TIME AS STYL EDOR." CUNNGHAM WAS A TE ASCETIC, THE SIMPLICY AND UGALY OF HIS LIFE DIRECT NTRAST TO THE GLAMOUR AND SUPER-RICH HE PHOTOGRAPHED. AS BERNSTE WROTE HIS MARVELO OBUARY: "HE DIDN’T GO TO THE MOVI. HE DIDN’T OWN A TELEVISN. HE ATE BREAKFAST NEARLY EVERY DAY AT THE STAGE STAR DELI ON WT 55TH STREET, WHERE A CUP OF FFEE AND A SSAGE, EGG AND CHEE ULD BE HAD, UNTIL VERY RECENTLY, FOR UNR $3. "HE LIVED UNTIL 2010 A STUD ABOVE CARNEGIE HALL AMID ROWS AND ROWS OF FILE BETS, WHERE HE KEPT ALL OF HIS NEGATIV. HE SLEPT ON A SGLE-SIZE T, SHOWERED A SHARED BATHROOM AND, WHEN HE WAS ASKED WHY HE SPENT YEARS RIPPG UP CHECKS OM MAGAZ LIKE DETAILS (WHICH HE HELPED ANNIE FLANRS LNCH 1982), SAID: “MONEY’S THE CHEAPT THG. LIBERTY AND EEDOM IS THE MOST EXPENSIVE.”BERNSTE TOLD THE DAILY BEAST, "BILL HAD NO FANCIAL MOTIVATN, HE WAS ONLY TERTED WORKG." CUNNGHAM WAS EELANCE, BERNSTE WR HIS OBUARY, UNTIL A 1994 ACCINT WHEN CUNNGHAM WAS H BY A TCK WHILE RIDG HIS BIKE--AND HE JOED THE STAFF OF THE TIM, SAYG WAS "A MATTER OF HEALTH SURANCE."BORN AND RAISED BOSTON, AS A YOUNG MAN CUNNGHAM DROPPED OUT OF HARVARD. HE MA WOMEN'S HATS, RISTG HIS PARENTS' EFFORTS FOR HIM TO GET VOLVED ADVERTISG. HE ALSO WORKED FOR AN UPSLE UTURE SALON LLED CHEZ NON. IT WAS CUNNGHAM WHO DYED BLACK THE RED BALENCIAGA SU JACKIE KENNEDY WORE FOR HER HBAND JFK'S FUNERAL.IN JOURNALISM, CUNNGHAM WORKED BRIEFLY FOR JOHN FAIRCHILD AT WOMEN'S WEAR DAILY, BEFORE THEY FELL OUT OVER WHO WAS BETTER--YV ST. LRENT OR ANDRé COURRèG. (CUNNGHAM THOUGHT THE LATTER, AND QU AFTER FAIRCHILD KILLED A PIECE HE'D WRTEN ABOUT COURRèG.)"HE REALLY HAD AN ENCYCLOPEDIC KNOWLEDGE OF FASHN," BERNSTE SAID. "HE WAS A SWEET GUY, BUT THERE WAS NO FOOLG HIM WHEN ME TO STYLE."WHEN CUNNGHAM WAS WORKG AT THE CHIGO TRIBUNE’S NEW YORK OFFICE, PHOTOGRAPHER DAVID MONTGOMERY GAVE HIM A MERA. MONTGOMERY'S ADVICE WAS: “USE LIKE A NOTEBOOK.” BY THE EARLY 1970S, CUNNGHAM HAD BEGUN TAKG HIS NOW-LEGENDARY STREET-STYLE PHOTOS FOR THE NEW YORK TIM."HE REALLY IS THE BIG BANG OF STREET-STYLE," BERNSTE SAID. "ALL OF THOSE PEOPLE DOG TODAY OWE A BIG BT TO HIM." WH THE ANONYMO, SEXY OR STRIKG PEOPLE HE PTURED ON NEW YORK'S STREETS, THERE WAS "ONLY A BRIEF EXCHANGE" BEFORE HE SNAPPED THEM, SAYS BERNSTE. "HE WANTED THEM TO RPOND TO THE MERA WHOUT POSG FOR ." IT WASN'T THE FAMO THAT TERTED CUNNGHAM, BUT THOSE WH STYLE--OR A STYLE THAT HE FOUND TERTG, AND THEY ULD BE FAMO OR NOT, AND RICH OR NOT. THE RED RPET WAS TOO PREDICTABLE A NWAY FOR CUNNGHAM. AS BERNSTE SAID TO THE DAILY BEAST, "HE WAS A TE ADVOTE FOR DIVERSY, AND HE HAD A VERY GOOD EYE. HE PHOTOGRAPHED EVERYONE, EVERYWHERE, WHE, BLACK, RICH, AND NOT-RICH."IN 1968, CUNNGHAM EMBARKED ON AN EIGHT-YEAR PROJECT TO PTURE THE ARCHECTURE OF NEGLECTED NEIGHBORHOODS "AND PAIR THEM WH THE REMARKABLE FASHNS THAT FED THEIR SOCIETI," AS THE DAILY BEAST'S JT JON PUT ."HE PAIRED STUM BY PROMENT SOCIETY FIGUR, SUCH AS GERT VANRBILT WHNEY—WHO FOUND THE WHNEY MM OF AMERIN ART—AND MRS. J.P. MAN JR., WH THEIR FAY’S EXTRAVAGANT ARCHECTURE, PTURG HOW THE BUILDGS OF THE ERA WERE FLUENCG FASHN," WROTE JON.THE SERI, TLED BILL CUNNGHAM: FAS, WENT ON DISPLAY AT THE NEW YORK HISTORIL SOCIETY, 2014.BUT WAS HIS LOVE OF SEEG, AND SNAPPG, FASHN TRANS THAT CUNNGHAM BEME BT-KNOWN, AND MUCH-LOVED, FOR. IN THE DAILY BEAST 2010, PHILIP GEFTER, PRODUCER OF THE DOCUMENTARY BILL CUNNGHAM NEW YORK, REUNTED HOW CUNNGHAM'S SPEEDS ON HIS BICYCLE OUTPACED THE DUAL ENERGI OF THE DOCUMENTARY'S MUCH YOUNGER DIRECTORS'.IT WAS THAT FILM THAT ANNA WTOUR SAID, "WE ALL GET DRSED FOR BILL," OF THE RICH AND FAMO THAT CUNNGHAM PHOTOGRAPHED. GEFTER QUOTED CUNNGHAM AS DISMISSG ALL THE PLDS SHOWERED UPON HIM. "I'M JT A HACK," HE TOLD THE CREW, BUT GEFTER THOUGHT THAT A VER SO HE ULD MATA HIS OWN PENNCE.GEFTER RELLS CUNNGHAM LOOKG DISMISSIVE AT THE PAPARAZZI SWEARG AROUND CATHERE DENVE AFTER ONE EVENT. SHE WASN'T OF TERT TO HIM, HE SAID, AS SHE WASN'T WEARG ANYTHG TERTG."HE WANTS NOTHG MORE THAN TO BE ABLE TO STAND ON THE STREET AND WA TO BE THRILLED BY WHAT SOMEONE IS WEARG," GEFTER WROTE. "PERD. AT THE SAME TIME, HE IS EPLY CIRCUMSPECT—HE DID DROP OUT OF HARVARD—AND HE REGARDS HIS TWO LUMNS THE TIM THE LARGER NTEXT OF THE PAPER'S NEWS VERAGE."GEFTER, A FORMER PICTURE EDOR AT THE TIM, WROTE THAT CUNNGHAM WAS AS SCPULOLY POLE TO A MAILROOM CLERK AT THE PAPER AS HE WAS TO A SECTN EDOR. HIS BIGGT FIGHTS WERE WH ART EDORS, WHO THOUGHT THEY KNEW HOW BT HIS PHOTOGRAPHS SHOULD BE DISPLAYED ON THE PAGE.NO ONE ASSIGNED CUNNGHAM "TO GO OUT AND FD WOMEN ON THE STREET WEARG PK SRV, SAY," GEFTER WROTE. "THE ENDLS TRENDS HE SPOTS—WHETHER LEOPARD PATTERNED BAGS OR BACKLS SUMMER DRS OR WHE LEATHER BOOTS—E OM WHAT HE, ALONE, OBSERV."AS FOR HIS PERSONAL LIFE, BILL CUNNGHAM NEW YORK CUNNGHAM DID NOT ANSWER THE QUTN OF WHETHER HE WAS GAY OR NOT DIRECTLY, BUT SAID HE HAD NEVER HAD A ROMANTIC RELATNSHIP HIS LIFE.BERNSTE WONRED IF CUNNGHAM'S PICTUR WEREN'T "ACTS OF SUBLIMATN" OF SOME KD--THE ROMANTIC AND PERSONAL SUBSUMED BY THE PURSU OF HIS PHOTOGRAPHIC PASSNS. WHATEVER, HE SAID CUNNGHAM--WHO OFTEN APPEARED TRATED AT PEOPLE APPROACHG HIM AS A CELEBRY--MAY HAVE ALSO LEARNT SOMETHG OM FAVORE SUBJECTS LIKE WTOUR ABOUT HOW EFFECTIVE A TOOL MYSTERY WAS IF YOU ARE FAMO, PECIALLY SUCH OVER-EXPOSG TIM.BERNSTE LGHED AS HE RELLED ATTENDG SOCIAL EVENTS ALONGSI CUNNGHAM, WHERE "YOU WOULD FELY END UP FEELG LIKE THE JERK AS HE HAD BEEN GOG TO THEM FOR 10, 20, 30 YEARS. HE WAS IMMENSELY SUPPORTIVE OF CERTA CHARI." IN AN AFFECTNATE AND HEARTFELT 2013 SAY NEW YORK, DAN SHAW CELEBRATED CUNNGHAM'S "BIG GAY HEART," CHRONICLG, CELEBRATG, AND ADVOTG THROUGH HIS PICTUR GAY LIFE FAR LS PUBLICLY VISIBLE TIM, WHETHER THROUGH HIS PICTUR OF AIDS FUNDRAISERS OR ARTICL, LIKE ONE ABOUT FIRE ISLAND, WRTEN AT A TIME WHEN THE WORD 'GAY' DIDN'T FEATURE THE NEW YORK TIM. CUNNGHAM PHOTOGRAPHED DOWNTOWN DRAG QUEENS, LONG BEFORE DRAG HAD MA S MARCH TO THE MASTREAM, AND THE BUFF BARE-CHTED DUS ON PRI PARAS. SHAW WR THAT CUNNGHAM, THIS RPECT, WAS A DOUGHTY, QUIET PNEER--WHO ALSO, EVEN MORE SWEETLY, MA SHAW A VALENTE'S RD FEATURG CUTOUT IMAG OF HIM AND HIS THEN-BOYIEND.ON SATURDAY, A LETTER SENT TO JOURNALISTS AT THE TIM, EXECUTIVE EDOR BAQUET WROTE: "DEAR COLLEAGU, AS YOU KNOW BY NOW BILL CUNNGHAM, AN IN OF THE FASHN WORLD AND A BELOVED MEMBER OF OUR TIM FAY, HAS DIED. HE WAS A FAIAR SIGHT ACROSS THE CY, AND A WARM AND SG PRENCE OUR NEWSROOM. "I SPECT THAT IF HIS NEGATIV WERE LAID OUT ONE BY ONE THEY WOULD TELL A VIVID VISUAL STORY OF THE CY, OM S SOCIAL ELE TO S STREET FASHN. BILL WAS WORKG UNTIL JT DAYS AGO WHEN HE HAD A STROKE. WE WILL MISS HIM ARLY. WHILE ARRANGEMENTS HAVE NOT BEEN MA I'M SURE THERE WILL BE A TIME TO CELEBRATE HIS LIFE AND JOURNALISM THE G DAYS."IN A FURTHER TERVIEW, BAQUET TOLD THE DAILY BEAST OF CUNNGHAM: "HE WAS ONE OF A KD. HE WAS THIS HUGELY ETHIL MAN WHO SPENT TIME WH THE MOST AFFLUENT AND STYLISH PEOPLE OF NEW YORK AND NEVER LET GET TO HIM. HE WAS PLETELY HUMBLE, AND IF YOU LOOKED AT HIS PICTUR, THEY WERE NOT JT PICTUR OF AN AFFLUENT NEW YORK. HE SORT OF TRAVELED AROUND THE CY. "THERE ARE PEOPLE OF ALL LORS, SHAP, E LEVELS. I JT THK HE LOVED PEOPLE AND HE LOVED FASHN AND SHOWED HIS PICTUR. HE WAS JT A REMARKABLE FIGURE. HE WAS ONE OF THOSE NAM WHO NOT ONLY MA THE FASHN WORLD, BUT AS FAR AS I’M NCERNED WAS ONE OF THE PRCIPAL NAM OF THE NEW YORK TIM."BAQUET LIV GREENWICH VILLAGE, "AND I THK I SAW HIM (CUNNGHAM) ALMOST EVERY WEEKEND THE FARMER’S MARKET WANRG AROUND AND TAKG PICTUR, AND THEN I WOULD SEE HIM ON MADISON AVENUE TAKG PICTUR," HE TOLD THE DAILY BEAST."HE WAS SUCH A FIGURE, TOOTLG AROUND ON HIS BIKE, THIS FUNNY, AMAZGLY WARM MAN. HE WAS ONCE AT AN EVENT WH ME AND MY WIFE—WHICH WAS RARE FOR ME TO BE AT ONE OF THOSE EVENTS, AND THE NEXT DAY ON MY SK WAS A PICTURE THAT HE TOOK OF . JT A VERY SWEET, CENT HUMAN BEG."I THK IF SOMEBODY WOULD HAVE PUT TOGETHER ALL OF HIS PICTUR, ALL OF HIS NEGATIV OVER THE YEARS, WOULD BE JT A REAL HISTORIL VISUAL PORTRA OF NEW YORK."OR, AS GEFTER WROTE HIS 2010 DAILY BEAST PIECE: "HIS (CUNNGHAM'S) DNTG ACPLISHMENT IS THAT HE TRANSFORMED AN OBSSN WH CLOTH TO AN EXACTG CHRONICLE OF THE TERSECTN OF FASHN AND SOCIETY NEW YORK OVER HALF A CENTURY." TIM TEEMAN
- BOB HUGGS, WT VIRGIA BASKETBALL ACH, LLS OPPOSG FANS GAY SLUR ON AIR, ‘APOLOGIZ’
- WT VIRGIA COACH BOB HUGGS SAYS GAY SLUR ON RAD, THEN CALLS IT 'ABHORRENT'
?WILLIAM (BILL) GAY CUNNGHAM
* bill cunningham gay *
Was Cunngham gay? He also was known for documentg the love between gay men, even before LGBTQ folks were wily accepted by the media and New York Cy. "Do you want to know if I'm gay?
"But regardls of his relatnship stat, former lleague Dan Shaw wr for The Cut, sayg that he was so voted to g his platform and art to celebrate gay pri and love. "If you study Bill's reer at the Tim, he emerg as an gno activist who has celebrated gay pri week after week even as he exced himself om the creasgly sexualized society that he chronicled, " wr Shaw. "Whout beg partisan or polil, he has raised awarens of the val role of gays New York's culture.
OBUARY: CUNNGHAM, WILLIAM (BILL) GAY
In the clip, Cunngham talks about Gay Pri and his experienc photographg at the para. Today we are celebratg the life and legacy of William (Bill) Gay Cunngham. Today we are celebratg the life and legacy of William (Bill) Gay was born September 10, 1953, Cleveland, Oh, a son of the late Trevie and Oleta Colls married the late Darlene Sue Richards on September 14, 1971.
When Wt Virgia basketball ach Bob Huggs uttered a homophobic slur on Monday's WLW-AM (700) talk show wh host Bill Cunngham, put both the ach and the rad host the natnal a segment lled the "Stooge Report, " Huggs relled an cint which "bber penis" were thrown on the urt durg a Crosstown Shootout game between the Universy of Ccnati and Xavier. 'Impossible to fend':Social media reacts to Bob Huggs g homophobic slurMore:Bob Huggs to WLW's Cunngham: Xavier fans are 'Catholic f--s'Who is Bill Cunngham?
Enquirer Edorial:Bob Huggs should be shown the door for g homophobic slurJason Williams:The plex tale of former Ccnati Bearts ach Bob HuggsDid Bill Cunngham retire? "Wh the media prent, I asked if she is gay, " Cunngham said on the podst.
RIP BILL CUNNGHAM, MASTER PHOTOGRAPHER AND GODFATHER OF STREET STYLESUPREMEBILL CUNNGHAM, WHO HAS DIED AGED 87, CHRONICLED THE PARTYG AND SCHMOOZG OF THE FASHNABLE AND WEALTHY--BUT HE WAS MOST ENGAGED BY THE BUZZ AND STYLE OF THE STREETS.TIM TEEMANSENR EDOR AND WRERLLOYD GROVEUPDATED APR. 13, 2017 3:39PM EDT / PUBLISHED JUN. 26, 2016 7:14AM EDT ALAMYON VALENTE'S DAY, AT HER MEATPACKG DISTRICT HQ, DIANE VON FURSTENBERG HELD HER NEW YORK FASHN WEEK SHOW. THE BETIFUL PEOPLE CIRCULATED WH GLASS OF CHAMPAGNE, DVF (DISCLOSURE: THE SIGNER IS MARRIED TO BARRY DILLER, WHO IS CHAIRMAN OF IAC, THE PARENT PANY OF THE DAILY BEAST) HAD HER OWN MI SUPERMOL DIS PARTY UPSTAIRS, WH KENDALL JENNER, GIGI HADID, KARLIE KLOSS, JOURDAN DUNN, LILY ALDRIDGE, AND IRA SHAYK.AT THE BOTTOM OF THE DVF HQ STAIRSE STOOD THE NEW YORK TIM'S BILL CUNNGHAM, CLAD A PADD BLUE WTER AT AND HIS UAL CHOS, CLUTCHG HIS 35MM MERA. HE WAS TAKG PICTUR OF THE FAMO AND THE EXTREMELY PRETTY, NIMBLY SI-STEPPG AROUND THE CSH TO GET THE BT SHOT, A BEAMG SE ALTERNATG WH A LOOK OF BEADY NCENTRATN. FET ALL THE FLUTTERG SUPERMOLS AND FASHN-FOLK: CUNNGHAM, A STAR NOT JT OF THE FASHN WORLD BUT ALSO NEW YORK, WAS THE CENTER OF ATTENTN THAT EVENG, AND WAS SURROUND BY PEOPLE OFFERG THEIR GREETGS AND HUGS. IT LOOKED AS IF HE WOULD RATHER JT GET ON WH THE JOB. HE WAS BEG PHOTOGRAPHED, AND LNIZED AND LEAPT UPON AS MUCH AS THE PEOPLE HE WAS PHOTOGRAPHG.ON SATURDAY, WAS ANNOUNCED THAT THE MUCH-LOVED CUNNGHAM HAD DIED, AGED 87, AFTER SUFFERG A STROKE. AN ELOQUENT AND RICHLY TAILED OBUARY THE NEW YORK TIM BY JAB BERNSTE SUMMARIZED CUNNGHAM'S MANY ACHIEVEMENTS, NOT LEAST-- 2009--BEG MA A LIVG LANDMARK BY THE NEW YORK LANDMARKS CONSERVANCY.IT WAS QUE SOMETHG TO OBSERVE CUNNGHAM AT WORK, AT PARTI, OR AT FASHN SHOWS, OR ON THE STREET. IN MY PICTUR OF CUNNGHAM THAT NIGHT AT DVF'S SHOW, FOR EXAMPLE, CUNNGHAM KNOWS PEOPLE ARE WATCHG HIM, BUT HIS EXPRSN--AND HIS OWN RISTANCE TO POSG--SHOWS HE WOULD MUCH RATHER GET ON WH THE JOB THAT MA HIS NAME: DOCUMENTG FASHN AND THE FASHNABLE, OR WHAT HE EMED THOSE THGS TO BE.CUNNGHAM WOULD SOT ABOUT TOWN ON A BICYCLE, DO ANYTHG TO GET THE PERFECT SHOT, AND OFTEN STATNED HIMSELF AT 5TH AVENUE AND 57TH STREET TO PHOTOGRAPH THOSE WHO WOULD LATER APPEAR HIS 'ON THE STREET' LUMN THE STYL SECTN OF THE TIM. (THE GALAS AND SWANKY EVENTS OF THE EVENG ME UNR THE HEADG 'EVENG HOURS.')DEAN BAQUET, EXECUTIVE EDOR OF THE NEW YORK TIM, TOLD THE DAILY BEAST THAT CUNNGHAM HAD HAD A STROKE "MAYBE 10 DAYS AGO. HE WAS WORKG FE UNTIL THEN."BERNSTE TOLD THE DAILY BEAST THAT CUNNGHAM'S FORMIDABLE WORK ETHIC NTUED UP TO WHEN HE HAD THE STROKE: "IN THE LAST SIX MONTHS HE WAS STILL ATTENDG THREE, FOUR EVENTS A NIGHT. HE WOULD E TO THE OFFICE AND GREET ALL WH 'HELLO KIDS.' THERE WAS A GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO DOTED ON HIM. HE WORKED ALL THE WAY TO THE END."STUART EMMRICH, THE EDOR OF THE NEW YORK TIM' STYL SECTN, TOLD THE DAILY BEAST: "BILL WAS A TOWERG FIGURE THE FASHN WORLD, BUT ONE WH REMARKABLE HUY AND GENEROSY OF SPR. "ONCE, WHEN CHANEL EXPLIBLY GAVE ME A BETTER SEAT THAN HIM, HE SHYLY ASKED ME IF I WOULD CHANGE PLAC SO HE WOULD BE ABLE TO BETTER PHOTOGRAPH THE NWAY. "I SAID, 'OF URSE,' AND AFTER WE SWAPPED PLAC, HE LOOKED UP AT ME, GRNED AND TOOK MY PICTURE. IT WAS THE HIGHLIGHT OF MY TIME AS STYL EDOR." CUNNGHAM WAS A TE ASCETIC, THE SIMPLICY AND UGALY OF HIS LIFE DIRECT NTRAST TO THE GLAMOUR AND SUPER-RICH HE PHOTOGRAPHED. AS BERNSTE WROTE HIS MARVELO OBUARY: "HE DIDN’T GO TO THE MOVI. HE DIDN’T OWN A TELEVISN. HE ATE BREAKFAST NEARLY EVERY DAY AT THE STAGE STAR DELI ON WT 55TH STREET, WHERE A CUP OF FFEE AND A SSAGE, EGG AND CHEE ULD BE HAD, UNTIL VERY RECENTLY, FOR UNR $3. "HE LIVED UNTIL 2010 A STUD ABOVE CARNEGIE HALL AMID ROWS AND ROWS OF FILE BETS, WHERE HE KEPT ALL OF HIS NEGATIV. HE SLEPT ON A SGLE-SIZE T, SHOWERED A SHARED BATHROOM AND, WHEN HE WAS ASKED WHY HE SPENT YEARS RIPPG UP CHECKS OM MAGAZ LIKE DETAILS (WHICH HE HELPED ANNIE FLANRS LNCH 1982), SAID: “MONEY’S THE CHEAPT THG. LIBERTY AND EEDOM IS THE MOST EXPENSIVE.”BERNSTE TOLD THE DAILY BEAST, "BILL HAD NO FANCIAL MOTIVATN, HE WAS ONLY TERTED WORKG." CUNNGHAM WAS EELANCE, BERNSTE WR HIS OBUARY, UNTIL A 1994 ACCINT WHEN CUNNGHAM WAS H BY A TCK WHILE RIDG HIS BIKE--AND HE JOED THE STAFF OF THE TIM, SAYG WAS "A MATTER OF HEALTH SURANCE."BORN AND RAISED BOSTON, AS A YOUNG MAN CUNNGHAM DROPPED OUT OF HARVARD. HE MA WOMEN'S HATS, RISTG HIS PARENTS' EFFORTS FOR HIM TO GET VOLVED ADVERTISG. HE ALSO WORKED FOR AN UPSLE UTURE SALON LLED CHEZ NON. IT WAS CUNNGHAM WHO DYED BLACK THE RED BALENCIAGA SU JACKIE KENNEDY WORE FOR HER HBAND JFK'S FUNERAL.IN JOURNALISM, CUNNGHAM WORKED BRIEFLY FOR JOHN FAIRCHILD AT WOMEN'S WEAR DAILY, BEFORE THEY FELL OUT OVER WHO WAS BETTER--YV ST. LRENT OR ANDRé COURRèG. (CUNNGHAM THOUGHT THE LATTER, AND QU AFTER FAIRCHILD KILLED A PIECE HE'D WRTEN ABOUT COURRèG.)"HE REALLY HAD AN ENCYCLOPEDIC KNOWLEDGE OF FASHN," BERNSTE SAID. "HE WAS A SWEET GUY, BUT THERE WAS NO FOOLG HIM WHEN ME TO STYLE."WHEN CUNNGHAM WAS WORKG AT THE CHIGO TRIBUNE’S NEW YORK OFFICE, PHOTOGRAPHER DAVID MONTGOMERY GAVE HIM A MERA. MONTGOMERY'S ADVICE WAS: “USE LIKE A NOTEBOOK.” BY THE EARLY 1970S, CUNNGHAM HAD BEGUN TAKG HIS NOW-LEGENDARY STREET-STYLE PHOTOS FOR THE NEW YORK TIM."HE REALLY IS THE BIG BANG OF STREET-STYLE," BERNSTE SAID. "ALL OF THOSE PEOPLE DOG TODAY OWE A BIG BT TO HIM." WH THE ANONYMO, SEXY OR STRIKG PEOPLE HE PTURED ON NEW YORK'S STREETS, THERE WAS "ONLY A BRIEF EXCHANGE" BEFORE HE SNAPPED THEM, SAYS BERNSTE. "HE WANTED THEM TO RPOND TO THE MERA WHOUT POSG FOR ." IT WASN'T THE FAMO THAT TERTED CUNNGHAM, BUT THOSE WH STYLE--OR A STYLE THAT HE FOUND TERTG, AND THEY ULD BE FAMO OR NOT, AND RICH OR NOT. THE RED RPET WAS TOO PREDICTABLE A NWAY FOR CUNNGHAM. AS BERNSTE SAID TO THE DAILY BEAST, "HE WAS A TE ADVOTE FOR DIVERSY, AND HE HAD A VERY GOOD EYE. HE PHOTOGRAPHED EVERYONE, EVERYWHERE, WHE, BLACK, RICH, AND NOT-RICH."IN 1968, CUNNGHAM EMBARKED ON AN EIGHT-YEAR PROJECT TO PTURE THE ARCHECTURE OF NEGLECTED NEIGHBORHOODS "AND PAIR THEM WH THE REMARKABLE FASHNS THAT FED THEIR SOCIETI," AS THE DAILY BEAST'S JT JON PUT ."HE PAIRED STUM BY PROMENT SOCIETY FIGUR, SUCH AS GERT VANRBILT WHNEY—WHO FOUND THE WHNEY MM OF AMERIN ART—AND MRS. J.P. MAN JR., WH THEIR FAY’S EXTRAVAGANT ARCHECTURE, PTURG HOW THE BUILDGS OF THE ERA WERE FLUENCG FASHN," WROTE JON.THE SERI, TLED BILL CUNNGHAM: FAS, WENT ON DISPLAY AT THE NEW YORK HISTORIL SOCIETY, 2014.BUT WAS HIS LOVE OF SEEG, AND SNAPPG, FASHN TRANS THAT CUNNGHAM BEME BT-KNOWN, AND MUCH-LOVED, FOR. IN THE DAILY BEAST 2010, PHILIP GEFTER, PRODUCER OF THE DOCUMENTARY BILL CUNNGHAM NEW YORK, REUNTED HOW CUNNGHAM'S SPEEDS ON HIS BICYCLE OUTPACED THE DUAL ENERGI OF THE DOCUMENTARY'S MUCH YOUNGER DIRECTORS'.IT WAS THAT FILM THAT ANNA WTOUR SAID, "WE ALL GET DRSED FOR BILL," OF THE RICH AND FAMO THAT CUNNGHAM PHOTOGRAPHED. GEFTER QUOTED CUNNGHAM AS DISMISSG ALL THE PLDS SHOWERED UPON HIM. "I'M JT A HACK," HE TOLD THE CREW, BUT GEFTER THOUGHT THAT A VER SO HE ULD MATA HIS OWN PENNCE.GEFTER RELLS CUNNGHAM LOOKG DISMISSIVE AT THE PAPARAZZI SWEARG AROUND CATHERE DENVE AFTER ONE EVENT. SHE WASN'T OF TERT TO HIM, HE SAID, AS SHE WASN'T WEARG ANYTHG TERTG."HE WANTS NOTHG MORE THAN TO BE ABLE TO STAND ON THE STREET AND WA TO BE THRILLED BY WHAT SOMEONE IS WEARG," GEFTER WROTE. "PERD. AT THE SAME TIME, HE IS EPLY CIRCUMSPECT—HE DID DROP OUT OF HARVARD—AND HE REGARDS HIS TWO LUMNS THE TIM THE LARGER NTEXT OF THE PAPER'S NEWS VERAGE."GEFTER, A FORMER PICTURE EDOR AT THE TIM, WROTE THAT CUNNGHAM WAS AS SCPULOLY POLE TO A MAILROOM CLERK AT THE PAPER AS HE WAS TO A SECTN EDOR. HIS BIGGT FIGHTS WERE WH ART EDORS, WHO THOUGHT THEY KNEW HOW BT HIS PHOTOGRAPHS SHOULD BE DISPLAYED ON THE PAGE.NO ONE ASSIGNED CUNNGHAM "TO GO OUT AND FD WOMEN ON THE STREET WEARG PK SRV, SAY," GEFTER WROTE. "THE ENDLS TRENDS HE SPOTS—WHETHER LEOPARD PATTERNED BAGS OR BACKLS SUMMER DRS OR WHE LEATHER BOOTS—E OM WHAT HE, ALONE, OBSERV."AS FOR HIS PERSONAL LIFE, BILL CUNNGHAM NEW YORK CUNNGHAM DID NOT ANSWER THE QUTN OF WHETHER HE WAS GAY OR NOT DIRECTLY, BUT SAID HE HAD NEVER HAD A ROMANTIC RELATNSHIP HIS LIFE.BERNSTE WONRED IF CUNNGHAM'S PICTUR WEREN'T "ACTS OF SUBLIMATN" OF SOME KD--THE ROMANTIC AND PERSONAL SUBSUMED BY THE PURSU OF HIS PHOTOGRAPHIC PASSNS. WHATEVER, HE SAID CUNNGHAM--WHO OFTEN APPEARED TRATED AT PEOPLE APPROACHG HIM AS A CELEBRY--MAY HAVE ALSO LEARNT SOMETHG OM FAVORE SUBJECTS LIKE WTOUR ABOUT HOW EFFECTIVE A TOOL MYSTERY WAS IF YOU ARE FAMO, PECIALLY SUCH OVER-EXPOSG TIM.BERNSTE LGHED AS HE RELLED ATTENDG SOCIAL EVENTS ALONGSI CUNNGHAM, WHERE "YOU WOULD FELY END UP FEELG LIKE THE JERK AS HE HAD BEEN GOG TO THEM FOR 10, 20, 30 YEARS. HE WAS IMMENSELY SUPPORTIVE OF CERTA CHARI." IN AN AFFECTNATE AND HEARTFELT 2013 SAY NEW YORK, DAN SHAW CELEBRATED CUNNGHAM'S "BIG GAY HEART," CHRONICLG, CELEBRATG, AND ADVOTG THROUGH HIS PICTUR GAY LIFE FAR LS PUBLICLY VISIBLE TIM, WHETHER THROUGH HIS PICTUR OF AIDS FUNDRAISERS OR ARTICL, LIKE ONE ABOUT FIRE ISLAND, WRTEN AT A TIME WHEN THE WORD 'GAY' DIDN'T FEATURE THE NEW YORK TIM. CUNNGHAM PHOTOGRAPHED DOWNTOWN DRAG QUEENS, LONG BEFORE DRAG HAD MA S MARCH TO THE MASTREAM, AND THE BUFF BARE-CHTED DUS ON PRI PARAS. SHAW WR THAT CUNNGHAM, THIS RPECT, WAS A DOUGHTY, QUIET PNEER--WHO ALSO, EVEN MORE SWEETLY, MA SHAW A VALENTE'S RD FEATURG CUTOUT IMAG OF HIM AND HIS THEN-BOYIEND.ON SATURDAY, A LETTER SENT TO JOURNALISTS AT THE TIM, EXECUTIVE EDOR BAQUET WROTE: "DEAR COLLEAGU, AS YOU KNOW BY NOW BILL CUNNGHAM, AN IN OF THE FASHN WORLD AND A BELOVED MEMBER OF OUR TIM FAY, HAS DIED. HE WAS A FAIAR SIGHT ACROSS THE CY, AND A WARM AND SG PRENCE OUR NEWSROOM. "I SPECT THAT IF HIS NEGATIV WERE LAID OUT ONE BY ONE THEY WOULD TELL A VIVID VISUAL STORY OF THE CY, OM S SOCIAL ELE TO S STREET FASHN. BILL WAS WORKG UNTIL JT DAYS AGO WHEN HE HAD A STROKE. WE WILL MISS HIM ARLY. WHILE ARRANGEMENTS HAVE NOT BEEN MA I'M SURE THERE WILL BE A TIME TO CELEBRATE HIS LIFE AND JOURNALISM THE G DAYS."IN A FURTHER TERVIEW, BAQUET TOLD THE DAILY BEAST OF CUNNGHAM: "HE WAS ONE OF A KD. HE WAS THIS HUGELY ETHIL MAN WHO SPENT TIME WH THE MOST AFFLUENT AND STYLISH PEOPLE OF NEW YORK AND NEVER LET GET TO HIM. HE WAS PLETELY HUMBLE, AND IF YOU LOOKED AT HIS PICTUR, THEY WERE NOT JT PICTUR OF AN AFFLUENT NEW YORK. HE SORT OF TRAVELED AROUND THE CY. "THERE ARE PEOPLE OF ALL LORS, SHAP, E LEVELS. I JT THK HE LOVED PEOPLE AND HE LOVED FASHN AND SHOWED HIS PICTUR. HE WAS JT A REMARKABLE FIGURE. HE WAS ONE OF THOSE NAM WHO NOT ONLY MA THE FASHN WORLD, BUT AS FAR AS I’M NCERNED WAS ONE OF THE PRCIPAL NAM OF THE NEW YORK TIM."BAQUET LIV GREENWICH VILLAGE, "AND I THK I SAW HIM (CUNNGHAM) ALMOST EVERY WEEKEND THE FARMER’S MARKET WANRG AROUND AND TAKG PICTUR, AND THEN I WOULD SEE HIM ON MADISON AVENUE TAKG PICTUR," HE TOLD THE DAILY BEAST."HE WAS SUCH A FIGURE, TOOTLG AROUND ON HIS BIKE, THIS FUNNY, AMAZGLY WARM MAN. HE WAS ONCE AT AN EVENT WH ME AND MY WIFE—WHICH WAS RARE FOR ME TO BE AT ONE OF THOSE EVENTS, AND THE NEXT DAY ON MY SK WAS A PICTURE THAT HE TOOK OF . JT A VERY SWEET, CENT HUMAN BEG."I THK IF SOMEBODY WOULD HAVE PUT TOGETHER ALL OF HIS PICTUR, ALL OF HIS NEGATIV OVER THE YEARS, WOULD BE JT A REAL HISTORIL VISUAL PORTRA OF NEW YORK."OR, AS GEFTER WROTE HIS 2010 DAILY BEAST PIECE: "HIS (CUNNGHAM'S) DNTG ACPLISHMENT IS THAT HE TRANSFORMED AN OBSSN WH CLOTH TO AN EXACTG CHRONICLE OF THE TERSECTN OF FASHN AND SOCIETY NEW YORK OVER HALF A CENTURY." TIM TEEMAN
" It was an enarment that was faiar to me and cheered me: that "chile" grew out of his unrstandg of, and intifitn wh, black culture—a world where black gay men imated all those loved nti and mothers who lled you “chile, ” as a way of lettg you know you were theirs, somebody’s asi, part of what ma Cunngham such an extraordary person was the fact that he saw , jt as he saw women and all those “others.
There was no lack of subjects high and low, young and old, of all rac and all self-classifitns (Cunngham was an early, lighted wns of public gay styl). "As for his personal life, Bill Cunngham New York Cunngham did not answer the qutn of whether he was gay or not directly, but said he had never had a romantic relatnship his life.
" In an affectnate and heartfelt 2013 say New York, Dan Shaw celebrated Cunngham's "big gay heart, " chroniclg, celebratg, and advotg through his pictur gay life far ls publicly visible tim, whether through his pictur of AIDS fundraisers or articl, like one about Fire Island, wrten at a time when the word 'gay' didn't feature the New York Tim. Bob Huggs, the Hall of Fame men’s basketball ach at the Universy of Wt Virgia, ed gay slurs to refer to fans of Xavier, agast whom he ed to ach annually while at Ccnati. Wt Virgia Mountaeers head ach Bob Huggs is rightfully unr fire for sayg homophobic slurs on a lol Ccnati rad show–and makg a transgenr joke for good measure.
BOB HUGGS, WT VIRGIA BASKETBALL ACH, LLS OPPOSG FANS GAY SLUR ON AIR, ‘APOLOGIZ’
They were uttered durg a juvenile and atavistic nversatn that was ripe wh anti-gay trop and sual homophobia.
The nversatn began wh the kd of sophomoric towel-snappg that jock-sniffg hosts often e to gratiate themselv wh players and ach.
WT VIRGIA COACH BOB HUGGS SAYS GAY SLUR ON RAD, THEN CALLS IT 'ABHORRENT'
That gave Huggs the proverbial green light to go full homophobe. As Outsports’ Cyd Zeigler mentns, Huggs’ public ments are the most homophobic we’ve heard om a sports figure sce NBA great Tim Hardaway told Dan Le Batard he “hat gay people” 2007.
Huggs, who’s the face of a proment athletic partment, may lose his job over his anti-gay locker room talk. It’s apparent he’s pals wh Huggs, and the macho world of talk rad, that’s what pals do: rag on gay and transgenr people.
That environment, along wh the prevalence of sual homophobia, set the stage for Huggs to drop a uple of anti-gay slurs. He was talkg wh his iend Bill, makg fun of the gays. For the lear of a big time llege basketball program, Huggs’ homophobic remarks were shockg.