Some might have considered the on-the-street photographer Bill Cunningham to have been a New York institution in and of himself, and now his archive has been acquired by another one that truly is — the New York Historical.

The Upper West Side museum is the new home of “tens of thousands” of photographs, negatives, slides, contact sheets, prints, scrapbooks and correspondences that the longtime New York Times photographer, who died in 2016, created.

Seemingly never without his trusty Nikon around his neck and dressed in a bright blue French workmen’s jacket, Cunningham could often be found near Bergdorf Goodman shooting the street-style of passersby for his “On the Street” column. His portfolio included images from runway shows in New York and Paris, as well as decades of on-the-town party coverage in Manhattan including at the Met Gala. He was inclined to spend 10 hours outdoors each day shooting and cover 16 or 17 parties a week. Another indicator of Cunningham’s endurance was his preferred means of transportation — pedaling a Biria bicycle despite wind, rain or even snow.

Arriving in New York in 1948, Cunningham started out in advertising before designing hats under the William J. label. After serving a tour in the U.S. Army, he returned to the city and wrote for the Chicago Tribune and then Women’s Wear Daily. He also started taking photographs after WWD’s legendary publisher John B. Fairchild gave him a camera.

After leaving WWD, the Times first published a group of Cunningham’s impromptu photos in December 1978, which led to a regular gig.

His longtime assistant at The Times, John Kurdewan, could not be reached for comment Friday.

Asked about the acquisition of Cunningham’s archive and whether The Times has the rights to publish any of his work, a New York Times spokesperson deferred comment about the acquisition to his estate and said Friday, “The Times owns the copyright in some of Bill’s photos, but not all.” (Cunningham’s obituary in The New York Times did not feature any of his own images.)

Cunningham’s niece, Patricia Simonson, who oversees his estate, played a key role in the acquisition, as did a trustee of the New York Historical Sally Klingenstein Martell, who provided a gift for its care. In a statement, Simonson said her uncle “devoted his life to capturing the spirit and beauty of individuals, fashion and, of course, New York — and there is no more appropriate place for his collection.”

One of Cunningham’s longtime subjects, Alexandra Lebenthal, who also supported the cause, said she was “thrilled” about the acquisition. “Everything Bill did was such an important remnant of who he was, and what he represented to charities and people in the city. I feel the archives have found their rightful resting place,” she said.

Like many making the rounds in the city’s high society scene, Lebenthal knew Cunningham by sight, and “you always kind of hoped that he would take your photo” [for ‘Evening Hours’ party coverage in The New York Times’ Sunday edition]. Then one day he did at the Museum of Natural History. I remember what I was wearing and that moment of seeing the camera snap and then seeing the photo on Sunday.”

Gradually, she and her husband developed “this wonderful relationship” with Cunningham. After Lebenthal’s mother died, Cunningham attended her memorial service, despite having never met her, and left a condolence note in the lobby of Lebenthal’s apartment building.

Having first visited the Bill Cunningham Archive eight years ago, which consisted of 600 linear feet of materials, Louise Mirrer, president and chief executive officer of The New York Historical said Friday, “This has been a long haul but with a very good conclusion.”  

After his death, the Upper West Side cultural institution started receiving donations of his work, due to his “soft spot” and respect for it. Years before, the lensman did research in its Patricia D. Klingenstein Library for his millinery work. And in 1968, he set off on an eight-year project to complete a photo essay entitled “Facades” of his muse Editta Sherman wearing period fashions that mirrored the time period of New York City architectural wonders. In 2014, the New York Historical staged an exhibition of “Facades” that coincided with Cunningham’s 85th birthday. Three years later the Upper West Side cultural hub staged the “Bill Cunningham” exhibition, after acquiring such items as one of Cunningham’s cameras and one of his bicycles (“several had been stolen so we got whichever one was left,” according to Mirrer). Also on view was one of his French workman’s jacket and more than 200 books, photos and notes as well as his feather collection.

The New York Historical plans to display some of the scrapbooks that Cunningham put together in the near future “to really give people a flavor for the kinds of items in the archive that are less-known,” Mirrer said. In addition, a major exhibition of the lensman’s “Evening Hours” columns is being planned that “will be chockablock with photographs that he took at galas and in other places.”

“This is a great acquisition for an institution like ours, because we really exist to preserve the history of the city, the nation and all of the great people, who allow us to have some insights into its vibrancy,” Mirrer said.

As for what Cunningham would have made of the acquisition, Lebenthal said, “The funny thing about Bill was that he didn’t think that his photos or anything that he did was really worth all of the attention. I’m sure he would have put his hand out and say, ‘Oh child, I don’t know why they wanted that,’ and not appreciating what a treasure trove it really was.”

Despite his ever-working and spartan lifestyle, Cunningham churned out more than photos and friends. After his death, his estate was reportedly valued at $4 million.