From 1941 to 1976, the women on the Miss Subways posters that lined subway cars represented the diversity of New York City women: they were of all ethnicities and backgrounds, college students, secretaries, aspiring actresses and singers, as well as wartime nurses.
Ellen Hart Sturm, the owner of Ellen’s Stardust Diner, has held many Miss Subways reunions over the years, after being crowned Miss Subways in 1959.
The Miss Subways pageant ran from 1941 to 1976, and was notably ahead of its time, with a diverse group of women earning the title. It was one of the first beauty pageants in America to become integrated, the first African American was crowned Miss Subways in 1948 — long before Vanessa Williams was named Miss America in 1984 — and the first Asian-American was honored in 1949.
In 1957, it was estimated that 5.9. million people viewed Miss Subway daily, using 14,000 placards within trains. Around 200 women held the title during the program’s run.
The contest ended in 1976, but it was resurrected for one year in 2004, to honor the subway’s centennial. Renamed Ms. Subways, this campaign was structured differently than the original contest. In 2017, it was revived yet again, this time unaffiliated with the MTA and more of a subway-themed variety show with celebrity judges.
