Bill Cunningham may have taken over a million photographs in his life. Nobody catalogued New York City’s inhabitants as devotedly or extensively as Mr. Cunningham. His work will always remain a massive monument to the city. But his biggest impact on me will always be his joy. True joy seems to subside with age. There is happiness in every stage of life, but giddiness seems to belong to the young. Mr. Cunningham remained a young man until he passed away yesterday. When I watched him work, I always kept my eyes on his smile. It was always there. And it held the secret to life. Bill Cunningham discovered what he loved, he did it every day, and he was joyous until the end. He figured it all out. And he pointed the way for the rest of us.
