"Meet Miss Subways"

From 1941 to 1976, the MTA hosted its own beauty competition: Miss Subways plastered images of the winner on trains and buses (often placed near ads as a way to draw more attention to them). Decades later, photographer Fiona Gardner and journalist Amy Zimmer sought out former competitors, shooting portraits and recording their stories. The New York Transit Museum hosts an exhibit devoted to the contest: In addition to displaying Gardner’s photos, the show features vintage postcards of the winners and audio of them relating their experiences.—Amy Plitt