In the 1970s, photographer Bill Cunningham decided to photograph his extensive costume collection using architecture in New York City. He enlisted his friend Editta Sherman, a celebrity photographer with studios in Carnegie Hall, as his model. At the time Editta, born in 1912, was in her sixties with the mature figure to accompany age. She also had a playful and informal style which made reading the book fun. The photo of the Flatiron building was amazing with Editta in drawers. After taking thousands of photos, the result is this catalog to accompany an exhibit at the Fashion Institute of Technology.

Each black and white photo is accompanied by a caption explaining the architecture of the building and a short description of the costume. As expected, his costume is mainly from the late Victorian era to the period between the world wars but there are examples from 1766 to 1970. It was disappointing that the costume could not be photographed in color although he does mention color in some of the captions. But they were extremely clear and details in costume could be easily seen.

I cannot attest to the accuracy of the commentary on the architecture but the costume details and dating were accurate. My only criticism was the commentary of the 1903 dress which Cunningham states is crocheted. It looks like Battenburg or other net lace with a crochet trim on the hem.

In the interests of disclosure, I need to say that my mother-in-law had been a friend of Editta Sherman since the 1930s and, when Editta found out I was interested in costume, she sent this book to me. I thank her for the opportunity to study this remarkable book. ( )