NEW YORK (AP) β Long before Bill Cunningham began photographing street fashion for The New York Times, he created a whimsical photo essay that paired fashion with architecture.
The project, from 1968 to 1976, was turned into a book called “Facades.”
Now, 80 silver gelatin prints from the series are being featured in a new exhibition at the New-York Historical Society. “Bill Cunningham: Facades” runs through June 15.
The photos capture his models posing in period costumes against famous New York City historic sites of the same vintage.
His muse, fellow photographer Editta Sherman, appears in most of the images, playfully assuming different characters.
Cunningham rode his bicycle throughout the city, searching secondhand shops for antique clothing and the best architectural sites.
The 85-year-old photographer donated the prints to the museum in 1976.
