Monday, November 28 , 2022 – THE CARS ARE SO GREAT TO REMEMBER, BUT NOT TO RIDE IN

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FROM THE ARCHIVES

MONDAY,  NOVEMBER 28 , 2022 


THE  845th  EDITION

THINGS WE REMEMBER

FROM THE


 OLD SUBWAYS

UNTAPPED NEW YORK 

NEW YORK TRANSIT MUSEUM

Photo by Justin Lui, Courtesy of the New York Transit Museum

R-33, R-33WF and R-36 cars from the Musem’s vintage fleet have been selected to make up this year’s Train of Many Colors. All of the cars featured were manufactured in the 1960s. The “Tartar Red” and “Gunn Red” redbirds, Kale Green “Green Machines”, blue-and-silver “Platinum Mist” and striking two-tone robin’s egg blue and cream “Bluebird” paint schemes give the train its festive name and a festive look. The diversity of the cars exemplifies how the subway changed throughout different eras of its history.

Today, it is easy to find a soft pretzel out on the streets and many subway stops have food vendors at the station — like the Turnstyle Underground Market at Columbus Circle — but the most convenient way to grab this classic snack, and not miss your train, would be to have a pretzel vendor right on the subway platform. In the 1960s, commuters at the Union Square station were able to do just that. In recent years, the city has been cracking down on subway food vendors, and in 2017, the MTA Chief even suggested banning food on the subway.

Vintage subway car at the New York Transit Museum with fabric “straphangers”. Courtesy of New York Transit Museum.

The term straphangers may be confusing to modern-day riders, after all, there are no straps on the subway. However, the first standing subway car riders held onto canvas straps to stabilize themselves. Over time, the canvas straps were replaced by metal “grab holds” and eventually replaced entirely by plain metal bars.

No solution keeps the spread of germs away, but individual straps at least eliminate the awkwardness of accidentally touching a stranger’s hand or having to fight for a spot on a pole to hold onto. Those who want to relive the strap-hanging experience can check out the entire level of vintage subway trains at the New York Transit Museum, ride on a nostalgia train, or purchase metal subway grab holds from the Transit Museum store.

Classic white subway tile is having a moment in interior design, but our focus is on the colorful mosaics that adorn the walls of New York City subway platforms. During the construction of the subway system, many architects and artists were commissioned to design ceramic flourishes for signage. The original intent of the decorative signs was to announce the name of the stop and to help non-English speakers, who couldn’t read the words on signs, orient themselves based on the artwork. Most original Arts and Crafts/Beaux Arts-style ceramic designs were created by Heins & LaFarge and Squire Vickers.

While many newer subway stations, like the World Trade Center Transportation Hub and the Second Ave subway, have a streamlined and modern aesthetic, we are happy that the tradition of showcasing art in the subway is being upheld, and that new stations continue to feature artwork that incorporates the mosaic technique.

The Interborough Rapid Transit Company built the now abandoned City Hall Subway Station as part of the Manhattan Main Line, the first line of the New York City Subway, which ran from City Hall to 145th Street. City Hall Station, which marked the beginning of the New York City subway when it opened on October 27, 1904, was designed by Rafael Guastavino, who also did the tiling in Grand Central’s whispering gallery as well as work in many other New York City locations.

No subway station can rival the grandeur of the City Hall Station, even in its decommissioned state. It features architectural wonders, such as tiled arches, brass chandeliers, and skylights. However, due to its curved platform, which was not able to accommodate newer, longer cars, the station was ultimately closed in 1945. Today, new subway stations and transit hub renovations showcase exciting new sleek, and modern designs, but we’re nostalgic for the Gilded-Age extravagance of City Hall Station.

PROMOTING ETIQUETTE

MAN SPREADING HAS ALWAYS BEEN A PROBLEM……HEAR THAT GUYS???

DOOR BLOCKERS HAVE ALWAYS BEEN WITH US, TODAY WITH A CELL PHONE AND NOT A NEWSPAPER!

SOME COMPLAINTS REMAIN THE SAME THROUGHOUT THE YEARS!

OH NO!

MONDAY PHOTO OF THE DAY

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WEEKEND PHOTO

A VIEW OF THE BLACKWELL’S ISLAND PENITENTIARY FROM QUEENS WITH THE WATER TANK OF THE TERRA COTTA WORKS ON VERNON BLVD IN FOREGROUND.

Text by Judith Berdy
Thanks to Bobbie Slonevsky for her dedication to Blackwell’s Almanac and the RIHS
Thanks to Deborah Dorff for maintaining our website
Edited by Deborah Dorff
All image are copyrighted (c)

UNTAPPED NEW YORK
NEW YORK TRANSIT MUSEUM

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CITY COUNCIL REPRESENTATIVE JULE MENIN AND 

DISCRETIONARY FUNDING THRU DYCD

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