William John “Bill” Cunningham (1929-2016) was a long-time New York Times photographer and journalist known for his “On the Street” and “Evening Hours” columns. A cultural anthropologist as much as a fashion photographer, Cunningham became distinguished for his candid street and event photographs of New Yorkers that depicted up-to-the-minute fashion trends. Among Cunningham’s most frequent locations to photograph his candid shots was the corner of Fifth Avenue and Fifty-Seventh Street and at the “up-to-twenty galas” he attended each week.

Born in Boston, Cunningham moved to New York in 1948. Although he began working as a journalist during the early 1960s, he initially made hats in New York. Cunningham, in fact, began his career as a milliner and worked in passionately in that field for almost two decades. A visual learner who enjoyed working with his hands, he opened his own millinery shop, William J., on East 52nd Street around 1950.

Cunningham’s most striking millinery designs incorporated unusual naturalistic forms and ornament. In a 1961 interview, he acknowledged that his work was not particularly wearable, stating:

I used to do birds jumping through hoops, and the fashion press went wild over my beach hats. But my sisters would say, ‘William, who wears them?’ and I knew they were right. People do wear them, of course, but it’s really a joke.”

Cunningham began creating more wearable hats in the early 1960s, with the hope that they would be easier to sell. Unfortunately, this change happened during a time when traditional women’s hats were no longer fashionable. The two corduroy hats here, 2017.73.1 and 2017.73.2, likely date to the early 60s, when Cunningham created his most wearable fabrications. These hats are reminiscent of newsboy caps and pillbox hats, and are soft with no understructure. The address on the accompanying printing plate, 44 West 54th Street, was the location of Cunningham’s shop, William J., from 1954 to about 1960. William J. was a one-man operation, so Cunningham branded his bags and boxes himself.

William John “Bill” Cunningham (1929-2016) was a long-time New York Times photographer and journalist known for his “On the Street” and “Evening Hours” columns. A cultural anthropologist as much as a fashion photographer, Cunningham became distinguished for his candid street and event photographs of New Yorkers that depicted up-to-the-minute fashion trends. Among Cunningham’s most frequent locations to photograph his candid shots was the corner of Fifth Avenue and Fifty-Seventh Street and at the “up-to-twenty galas” he attended each week.

Born in Boston, Cunningham moved to New York in 1948. Although he began working as a journalist during the early 1960s, he initially made hats in New York. Cunningham, in fact, began his career as a milliner and worked in passionately in that field for almost two decades. A visual learner who enjoyed working with his hands, he opened his own millinery shop, William J., on East 52nd Street around 1950.

Cunningham’s most striking millinery designs incorporated unusual naturalistic forms and ornament. In a 1961 interview, he acknowledged that his work was not particularly wearable, stating:

I used to do birds jumping through hoops, and the fashion press went wild over my beach hats. But my sisters would say, ‘William, who wears them?’ and I knew they were right. People do wear them, of course, but it’s really a joke.”

Cunningham began creating more wearable hats in the early 1960s, with the hope that they would be easier to sell. Unfortunately, this change happened during a time when traditional women’s hats were no longer fashionable. The two corduroy hats here, 2017.73.1 and 2017.73.2, likely date to the early 60s, when Cunningham created his most wearable fabrications. These hats are reminiscent of newsboy caps and pillbox hats, and are soft with no understructure. The address on the accompanying printing plate, 44 West 54th Street, was the location of Cunningham’s shop, William J., from 1954 to about 1960. William J. was a one-man operation, so Cunningham branded his bags and boxes himself.

William John “Bill” Cunningham, the beloved New York Times photographer, was born in Boston and moved to New York City in 1948. Although Cunningham was renowned as a photographer and journalist, he began his career as a milliner and worked passionately in that field for almost two decades. He opened his first millinery shop, William J, on East 52nd Street around 1950, and relocated to 44 West 54th Street in 1954. He moved his shop to 57th Street in about 1960.

Cunningham’s most striking millinery designs incorporated unusual naturalistic forms and ornament

The hat, created by Bill Cunningham during his years as a milliner in New York, was among Editta Sherman's favorites to wear.

William John “Bill” Cunningham (1929-2016) was a long-time New York Times photographer and journalist known for his “On the Street” and “Evening Hours” columns. As much a cultural anthropologist as he was a fashion photographer, Cunningham was known for candid street or event photographs of New Yorkers that depicted up-to-the-minute fashion trends. Among Cunningham’s most frequent locations to photograph his candid shots was the corner of Fifth Avenue and Fifty-Seventh Street and at the “up-to-twenty galas” he attended each week.

To achieve his telling photographs, Bill Cunningham often circulated around the city on a bicycle. In temperate weather he wore a French workers’ jacket. It was one of several he regularly wore.

These boots are part of a costume worn by actor/dancer Kevin Smith Kirkwood in the Broadway musical Kinky Boots. Created by New Yorkers Harvey Fierstein (who wrote the book) and pop singer Cyndi Lauper (music and lyrics), Kinky Boots tells the story of Charlie Price, a young Englishman who inherits his family’s failing shoe factory. While trying to save the business, Charlie creates stiletto heels for Lola, a local transvestite entertainer. The boots become an instant sensation, help to capture a lucrative new market for the firm, and permit Charlie to save the business while embracing tolerance for one of his neighborhood’s little recognized communities. Since Kinky Boots opened in March 2013, it has been a favorite of tourists and New Yorkers of all ages. It was awarded six Antoinette Perry (Tony) Awards, including for best musical.

Kevin Smith Kirkwood performed in the musical from 2013 to 2016 in different roles, including as a member of its chorus and as an understudy for Lola. New York custom shoe maker T. O. Dey creates a wide variety of hand-crafted shoes for performers. The firm created over 150 pairs of boots the musical's twenty lead actors and chorus members. Costume designer, Gregg Barnes, specified that the boots were to be beautiful but also strong enough to endure a grueling eight-performance-a-week schedule of dancing.

For nearly a century, Surma Books & Music Co. was a cultural hub for New York City’s Ukrainian immigrant centered community in the East Village, also known as Little Ukraine. Until its recent closure, the store had been located at 11 East Seventh Street since 1943.

Myron Surmach Sr., its founder, arrived at Ellis Island from the Ukraine in 1910. He settled in New York City after working various odd jobs in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Joining a Czech gymnastics group prompted him to open his shop in 1918 to sell gym clothing and Ukrainian books. It evolved into a general store, selling phonographs and washing machines, but Surmach also offered services such as letter reading. The business grew to include ethnic music publishing during the 1920s and 1930s—perhaps a fitting occupation, since “surma” also refers to a Ukrainian woodwind instrument.

During the 1950s, the store’s offerings shifted toward the marketing of “folk” through craft items and publications. Surmach’s son, Myron Jr. (1932–2003), assumed the business and began carrying products such as ceramics, religious icons, embroidered shirts, and wooden objects made by the Hutsul highlanders. In addition to selling traditional craft, Surma offered the tools and supplies to practice them, including a large selection embroidery flosses and fabrics, as well as jacquard ribbons with “folk” patterns, albeit made in Germany.

Surma eventually sourced the embroidered “peasant”-style shirts from Romania due to importation restrictions, but the idea of folk mattered more to its buyers than authenticity. It was a favorite spot for fashion stylists and hippies seeking a bohemian look—Janis Joplin and Joan Baez shopped there—from the late 1960s until the store’s closure. A framed publicity still from Raiders of the Lost Ark hung in the shop; it depicted Karen Allen wearing an embroidered blouse purchased at Surma.

This Irish sweater was worn by New York City mayor Ed Koch (1924-2013) when he marched in the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade. During the twelve years he served as mayor of the city (1978-1989), Koch donned the sweater to show his support for New York City’s Irish Americans. Koch, of Jewish ethnicity, used to joke that his name was “Ed O’Koch” on that day. The cream-colored wool hand-knit sweater with cable patterns is a traditional Aran sweater, popularly known as a fisherman’s sweater. Koch’s sweater is a turtleneck style. According to the former mayor, he purchased it in Ireland for the express purpose of wearing it in the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade.