One of the little treats to be found at the New York Times online is Bill Cunningham’s “On the street” slideshow. The Times’ octogenarian photographer combines his clear-eyed stills with glorious commentary in his own voice, unscripted. The subject matter is whatever Cunningham happened to notice in his travels about town on his bicycle.
In the midst of a newspaper and website that is an intellectual multi-course feast, Cunningham’s work is a small confection to cleanse the palate. Don’t make the mistake of treating it as something to be easily discounted, though. “On the street” is able to hold its own with the rest of the paper for its visuals, if nothing else.
This week’s treat – called Frosted – focuses on the sights along Fifth Avenue. Cunningham documents the people on the street but spends the most time describing in wonderful detail the store windows. His accent is charming, as he says Car-teer repeatedly instead of Cartier (Car-tee-ay), without the least bit of self-consciousness at his butchering the name of one of the finest jewellery stores in the world.
There are others that focus on fashion and footwear but each week, you can never be sure of what will appear. All are tackled, however, with Bill Cunningham’s enthusiasm for the city in which he lives.
Check it out.
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