Meet Miss Subways
- nellie111
- Jul 3
- 1 min read
Beauty pageants typically promote the fantasy of the ideal woman. But for over 30 years, one contest in New York City celebrated the everyday working girl.
Each month starting in 1941, a young woman was elected Miss Subways. Her face would be plastered on subway cars and buses, gazing down at transit riders as they trekked the city. Her photo would be accompanied by a short bio describing her hopes and aspirations. Since the public chose the winners, Miss Subways was considered a true New York woman.
She was also a symbol of changing times. Miss Subways was one of the first integrated beauty pageants in America. A Black Miss Subways was selected in 1948 — more than thirty years before there was a Black Miss America. By the 1950s, there were Miss Subways of Black, Asian, Jewish and Hispanic descent — a true replica of New York's female commuters.
