From the early ’40s into the ’70s, New York City had a Miss Subways campaign. It involved pretty young New York women having their photos on trains, so that their beauty and winning personalities could be appreciated by all New Yorkers. [Ed. note: My uncle can still recite the entire text for some of these posters, so they apparently hit their mark among adolescent boys.] This program is no longer alive, but former Miss Subways beauty queens have gone on to important lives, some in civil service — and with New York’s recent hurricane, they have decided to give back to the city that gave them so much.
Here’s a video of the Misses Subways raising money for Sandy, featuring some amazing New York accents:
[vimeo 53604778]
A few things to say after seeing that: (1) We hope we look like that when we’re 92. (2) We’re glad that the mustache-drawing thing has been with us for so long and isn’t just recent proof that society is going to hell in a handbasket. (3) It’s so sweet that these women are raising money for Sandy relief. Their upbeat humor and empathy and commitment to those less fortunate makes them just as beautiful as they were back in the days their photos were hanging up in trains.
