They All Dressed for Bill

Photo: Zeitgeist Films

Last night one of our favorite people, photojournalist Bill Cunningham, received the Carnegie Hall Medal of Excellence at a gala benefit dinner at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York City. The award recognizes Mr. Cunningham's incredible devotion to chronicling American fashion trends for nearly fifty years. It also honors his role in inspiring philanthropy and highlighting the importance of arts, culture and non-profit causes in the life of New York City. Currently a photographer for The New York Times, Mr. Cunningham's two columns, "On the Street" and "Evening Hours," appear each week in Sunday Styles. A clip from Bill Cunningham New York, the 2011 documentary about Mr. Cunningham, was shown during the dinner. Last night's event raised approximately $1.5 million for the music education and community programs of Carnegie Hall's Weill Music Institute. These programs are now located in what were once artists' studios above Carnegie Hall, where Mr. Cunningham lived for 60 years (shown above).