Miss Subways


"Miss Subways" was a title accorded to individual New York City women between 1941 and 1976. In the early years, the woman named Miss Subways appeared on posters in New York City Subway trains, along with a brief description of her. In 1957, with 14,000 placards within trains, it was estimated that 5.9 million people viewed Miss Subways, daily. Around 200 women held the title during the 1941-76 program run by the New York Subways Advertising Company.

Selection

The method of selecting Miss Subways varied over time, typically taking the form of a beauty contest with the general rule that, to be eligible, a woman had to be a New York City resident who used the subway, herself. "John Robert Powers, the head of the modeling agency, selected the winners" until 1961 or 1962 and later "for some years, winners were chosen by the contest organizers."
Before 1952, there were monthly selections of Miss Subways. From 1952 to 1957, candidates were picked every two months although "Mr. Powers once picked seven winners to reign side by side in the subway." By 1957, they were all hand-picked based on how much they exuded a "girl next door" quality:
John Robert Powers was no longer involved in selection by 1963 when the contest changed to "public vote... by post card." The first winner of the public vote was Ann Napolitano who was an executive secretary at the advertising agency Doyle, Dane & Bernbach. The New York Subways Advertising Company "redirected the contest to reflect the girl who works – what New York City is all about." Winners were given bracelets with gold-plated subway tokens." Spaulding commented in 1971 that "Prettiness per se is passé. It's personality and interest pursuits that count" and described how "each contest attracts between 300 and 400 entries, submitted by family, friends and colleagues. About 30 are selected for a personal interview 'to judge personality and make certain that the submitted picture is a good likeness.' Most of the winners have been stenographers, clerks, receptionists and some have been teachers and stewardesses."
Subsequent to the postcard system, winners were usually chosen by telephone-based voting, from among a group of nominees whose photos were placed on the subways. Title holders were photographed by the likes of James J. Kriegsmann who "specialized in pictures of stage and screen stars, but he also photographed ordinary people, including the women who appeared in the Miss Subways promotion for more than 30 years."
In 2004, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, in conjunction with the New York Post, brought back the program, now named "Ms. Subways," for one year only. A voting contest was held to determine the winner, Caroline Sanchez-Bernat, an actress. Posters of "Ms. Subways" appeared with subway safety tips instead of biographical notes.

Significance

Miss Subways began as a way for the John Robert Powers Agency "to promote his models and for the New York Subways Advertising Company 'to increase eye traffic' for the adjoining...advertisements." "The contest provided the main plot device of Leonard Bernstein's 1944 musical On The Town, in which a smitten sailor on leave searched for 'Miss Turnstiles.'"
By 1945, the four-year anniversary of the contest was commemorated nationally in Life Magazine. "Unlike Miss America, these queens represented the full spectrum of their constituency, mainly Irish, Italian, Latina and Jewish. Thelma Potter, who was studying at Brooklyn College at the time, was the first black Miss Subways 1947 ; the first Asian Miss Subways reigned in 1949." Potter stated, "It was progressive.... It stirred things up a bit."
The New York Subway Advertising Company was owned by Walter O'Malley, who moved the Brooklyn Dodgers to Los Angeles in 1958. Bernard Spaulding, the sales director for the New York Subways Advertising Company, said in 1971 that Miss Subways "was a World War II pinup phenomenon and then lost social significance." Miss Subways, however, was of "mythic significance to many," with Mayor Ed Koch saying in 1979:
In 1983, when there were public calls for the contest to continue, a Metropolitan Transportation Authority representative stated that it would be "irrelevant and socially unacceptable," and thus not viable, to restart Miss Subways. In 2004, journalist Melanie Bush commented:
Ellen Hart Sturm, owner of the New York diner Ellen's Stardust Diner, was Miss Subways in 1959; her diner features photos of many past Miss Subways on the walls.

Revival of "Miss Subways"

In 2017, the "Miss Subways Pageant" was resurrected and produced by The City Reliquary in the backyard of the museum. To update the event for the twenty-first century, the competition was open to all genders, body types, and ages. A panel of local celebrity judges including NY1 reporter Roger Clark awarded the title, sash, and crown to performance artist Lisa Levy. Levy campaigned on a platform of being the first postmenopausal Miss Subways. Miss Congeniality, an addition to the original pageant, was taken by Suzie Sims-Fletcher, a communications consultant. In 2018, The Riders Alliance joined the City Reliquary as a co-organizer of the event. The 2018 winner was Parker MacLure, a government employee who competed in drag. The event was hosted at Littlefield in Gowanus. Miss Subways returned to Littlefield for the 2019 event and the winner was Dylan Greenberg, a trans queer musician and director who fronts the band Theophobia.
The event went on hiatus with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and was not presented in 2020, 2021, or 2022. In 2023, the City Reliquary revived the event at the Sideshows by the Seashore Theater of Coney Island USA, no longer in partnership with Riders Alliance. The event was emceed by Maggie McMuffin, 2023 Miss Coney Island. The winner of the 2023 Miss Subways crown was Harmony "Hardcore" Vehling, a marketing manager. 2023 celebrity judges included Greg Young from The Bowery Boys podcast, New York Nico, Miss Subways 2017 Lisa Levy, New York City artist Reverend Jen Miller, and Maxine the Fluffy Corgi.

List of titleholders

YearTermName
19411 April – 30 April
19411 May – 31 May
19411 June – 30 June
19411 July – 31 July
19411 August – 31 August–
19411 September – 30 September–
19411 October – 31 October
19411 November – 30 November
19411 December – 31 December
1942–
19421 January – 31 January–
19421 February – 28 February
19421 March – 31 March
19421 April – 30 April
19421 May – 31 May–
19421 June – 30 June-Michael
19421 July – 31 July–
19421 August – 31 August
19421 September – 30 September
19421 October – 31 October–
19421 November – 30 November
19421 December – 31 December
19431 January – 31 January
19431 February – 28 February
19431 March – 31 March
19431 April – 30 April
19431 May – 31 MayVita Monterosso
19431 June – 30 June
19431 July – 31 July–
19431 August – 31 August
19431 September – 30 September–
19431 October – 31 October–
19431 November – 30 November–
19431 December – 31 December–
1944–
19441 January – 31 JanuaryAnne McConnell
19441 February – 29 February
19441 March – 31 March
19441 April – 30 April
19441 May – 31 May
19441 May – 31 May
19441 May – 31 May
19441 June – 30 June
19441 July – 31 July
19441 August – 31 August
19441 September – 30 September
19441 October – 31 October–
19441 November – 30 November–
19441 December – 31 December–
19451 January – 31 January–
19451 February – 28 February
19451 March – 31 March–
19451 April – 30 April
19451 May – 31 May–
19451 June – 30 June–
19451 July – 31 July
19451 August – 31 August
19451 September – 30 September–
19451 October – 31 October
19451 November – 30 November
19451 December – 31 December
19461 January – 31 January
19461 February – 28 February
19461 March – 31 March
19461 April – 30 April
19461 May – 31 May
19461 June – 30 June
19461 July – 31 July
19461 August – 31 August
19461 September – 30 September
19461 October – 31 October
19461 November – 30 November
19461 December – 31 December
19471 January – 31 January
19471 February – 28 February
19471 March – 31 March
19471 April – 30 April
19471 May – 31 May–
19471 June – 30 June–
19471 July – 31 July
19471 August – 31 August
19471 September – 30 September
19471 October – 31 October
19471 November – 30 November–
19471 December – 31 December
19481 January – 31 January
19481 February – 29 February
19481 March – 31 March–
19481 April – 30 April
19481 May – 31 May
19481 June – 30 June
19481 July – 31 July
19481 August – 31 August
19481 September – 30 September
19481 October 31 October
19481 November – 30 November
19481 December – 31 December
19491 January – 31 January
19491 February – 28 February–
19491 March – 31 March
19491 April – 30 April–
19491 May – 31 May–
19491 June – 30 June–
19491 July – 31 July–
19491 August – 31 August–
19491 September – 30 September
19491 October – 31 October
19491 November – 30 November
19491 December – 31 December–
19501 January – 31 January
19501 February – 28 February
19501 March – 31 March
19501 April – 30 April
19501 May – 31 May
19501 June – 30 June
19501 July – 31 July
19501 August – 31 August
19501 September – 30 September–
19501 October – 31 October
19501 November – 30 November–
19501 December – 31 December–
19511 January – 31 January
19511 February – 28 February
19511 May – 30 June
19511 July – 31 August
19511 September – 31 October
19511 November – 31 December
19521 January – 29 February
19521 March – 30 April
19521 May – 30 June
19521 July – 31 August–
19521 September – 31 October
19521 November – 31 December
19531 January – 28 February–
19531 March – 30 April
19531 May – 30 June
19531 July – 31 August
19531 September – 31 October
19531 November – 31 December
19541 January – 28 February–
19541 March – 30 April–
19541 May – 30 June
19541 July – 31 August–
19541 September – 31 OctoberEleanor Ward
19541 November – 31 December–
19551 January – 28 February
19551 March – 30 April
19551 May – 30 June–
19551 July – 31 August–
19551 September – 31 October
19551 November – 31 December
19561 January – 28 February
19561 March – 30 April
19561 May – 30 June
19561 July – 31 August
19561 September – 31 October
19561 November – 31 December
19571 January – 28 February
19571 March – 30 AprilMadeleine Seelig
19571 May – 30 June–
19571 July – 31 August–
19571 September – 31 October–
19571 November – 31 December–
19581 January – 28 February
19581 March – 30 AprilEleanor Galanis
19581 May – 30 June
19581 July – 31 August
19581 September – 31 October
19581 September – 31 October
19581 November – 31 December
19591 January – 28 February
19591 March – 30 April
19591 May – 30 JuneSheila Stein
19591 May – 30 JuneJoyce Griffin
19591 May – 30 JuneSally Salve
19591 May – 30 JuneGail Burke
19591 July – 31 August–
19591 September – 31 October–
19591 November – 31 December–
19601 January – 29 February
19601 March – 30 April
19601 May – 30 June
19601 July – 31 August
19601 September – 31 October
19601 November – 31 December
19611 January – 28 February
19611 March – 30 April
19611 May – 30 June
19611 July – 31 August
19611 September – 31 October
19611 November – 31 December
Before 1962–
19621 January – 28 February
19621 March – 30 April
19621 May – 30 June
19621 July – 31 August
19621 September – 31 October
19621 November – 31 December–
19631 September – 30 September
19641 January – 31 March
1965–
1965–Rosalind Cinclini
1966–
1966–Donna DeMarta
1967–
19671 December – 31 January 1968
19681 February – 31 August
1969–
19711 January – 30 June
19711 January – 30 June
19731 November – 30 April 1974Carol Brown
19741 May – 31 July
19741 November – 30 April 1975
19751 May – 31 October
19751 November – 30 April 1976
19761 May – 31 October
Before 1976Laurie Bill
Before 1976Judith Burgess
2004 –
2017–
2018–
2019–
2023–Harmony "Hardcore" Vehling

In popular culture

  • In the 1944 musical On the Town, one of the main characters falls in love with "Miss Turnstiles" after seeing her picture on the subway. Lyricist Betty Comden later claimed that the musical influenced the contest's selection process to include more diverse contestants, due to the casting of the half-Japanese Sono Osato as Miss Turnstiles in the original production.
  • Lawrence Ferlinghetti's poetry collection A Coney Island of the Mind contains a poem entitled "Meet Miss Subways."
  • Donald Sosin's 1972 song cycle "Third Rail" includes the entire text of a Miss Subways poster, but with the name of the girl and her school changed at her request.
  • Cher's 1974 album, Dark Lady, featured the comedic song, "Miss Subway of 1952," written by Mary F. Cain, about a once-beautiful woman who has not aged gracefully.
  • In the 1996 The Nanny episode "Tattoo" (Season 4 episode 9), Fran claims to have won the Miss Subways title.
  • In 1996, Marga Gomez debuted a show called "A Line Around the Block" in which a character says, "You're Miss America. No, better than that. Miss Subways."
  • The 2018 historical fiction novel The Subway Girls by Susie Orman Schnall features a dual-timeline story of a 1949 Miss Subways contestant and a modern-day female advertising executive.
  • In the 2018 novel Miss Subways, writer and actor David Duchovny re-imagines Miss Subways as Emer, a New York City teacher whose world intersects with mythical figures in her quest for love.