New York Times Fashion Photographer, Bill Cunningham, leaves a legacy in the streets of New York with a midtown street corner named after him.

Mr. Cunningham died at age 87 on June 25 due to a stroke after being hospitalized, according to the New York Times.

The Harvard dropout started his fashion journalism career writing for Women’s Wear Daily and the Chicago Tribune.  He then began taking candid photos on the streets of New York, which led to his fashion photography career at the New York Times, according to the zeitgeist films website.

Since the first day of his job at the Times in December 1978, he rode his bike around and took photos on the streets regularly, which filled the paper with fashion photos around the advertisements.  He took photos of unexpecting people around Manhattan and focused on the clothing that they were wearing.

His artwork caught the attention of renowned fashion designers, including Oscar de la Renta.  He described Cunningham’s work as “The total scope of fashion in the life of New York City.”

Mr. Cunningham’s success guided him to his first award in 1983 for Outstanding Photographer of the Year from the Council of Fashion Designers of America.  His work was recognized when his next award came in 2008 by the French Ministry of Culture and also the Carnegie Hall Medal of Excellence in 2012.

The newly named street corner is now named “Bill Cunningham Corner” in honor of the iconic fashion journalist.  However, New York Mayor, Bill de Blasio has the power to make this happen only temporary.  The mayor’s office then said with the help of the journalist’s friends, the community and the City Council it can be made permanent, according to AM New York.

For those who remain fans of Mr. Cunningham’s projects, he can be found on the northeast corner of 57th Street and Fifth Avenue in Midtown called “Bill Cunningham’s Corner.”

“Featured Image via Google Images”