Thursday, May 16, 2013

Bunny's Book Club: Miss Subway New York: 1941-1976

While I was at the Transit Museum last weekend, I encountered the coolest exhibit ever! What happens when you blend the New York City train system with a beauty contest? You get a Miss Subway!

Of course I was fascinated by this exhibit and wished that they still had this contest in New York. It really changed many of these women's lives! It ran from 1941 to 1976. I found it ironic and cool that it ended the year I was born LOL
About 200 women held the title and it was said that thousands of people viewed these "car cards" (the ad on the subways about them) daily. Imagine that! Remember that this was pre-internet time so that number is impressive.

I just loved that New York celebrated women of all sorts and types of beauty in such a creative and meaningful way.

They also had phones along some of the images of the women where you could hear some speak about their experience as Miss Subway and how it changed their life. Along with their "car cards" was also a photo of each Miss Subway as they are today. That was so neat!

So, how would  you like to own your own copy of the Meet Miss Subways book?
This giveway is open to U.S. readers ONLY. Simply share this link on one of your social media outlets and tell me if you would have applied to become a Miss Subway? This wasn't your ordinary beauty contest-these women were creative and super smart.

I have been promising my International readers a giveaway for a bit now and I haven't forgotten. It is in the works!

xox

FYI: I only order used copies of books for myself and I do the same for most of my book giveaways-just keep that in mind in case you wanted a new copy-many thanks!

PS I forgot to mention when I will announce the winner......Thursday, May 23rd!

9 comments:

  1. I think being Miss Subway would have been fun. How cool is it that you would have been part of everyone's work day or travel experience. Very cool.

    I shared it on Twitter. Here's the link:
    https://twitter.com/mandycortright/status/335261630537539586

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  2. i dont apply as im overseas but i really loved this post and just wanted to say so! as i was reading i was cheking out the hairstyles at first but then when there was text i started wondering, hmmm wonder if she ever became a doctor? wow! flying, cool! etc... and then you say they now have a book letting us know wat they 're up to today. love it! i wouldnot have applied. i lack major self confidence. but i would have loved picking my faves and reading the cards while waiting for the subway :D
    good luck all you statesiders :D

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  3. Being a Canadian lass, I'm not able to enter (and do hope this doesn't throw off your comment count, honey), but I just wanted to say how much I enjoyed learning more about the Subway Queens. I only just recently got wind of them within, I'd say, about the past month, and was tickled pink to see that you'd blogged about these cool (beautiful!) ladies.

    ♥ Jessica

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  4. This is so neat. I read about this same ting not too long ago, but it escapes me. I blogged about the give away here: http://midwestmusings-kim.blogspot.com/2013/05/miss-subway-new-york.html.

    I would love to have this book! And I don't think I would have been brave enough to do this.

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  5. I shared this on my FB, but now I'm having some difficulty getting this comment to post. I suppose if you see it, you'll know that I was successful. I would LOVE to be Miss Subway. I would ride around town with my crown and tiara, waving with one hand and holding roses in the other.

    ~Katie

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  6. This is really awesome. I had no idea such a beauty contest existed! It's so creative and fun and cute. :) I love stumbling upon little nuggets of fabulous history like this. There are so many amazing things that happened in the past that we will probably never know about. It's impossible to uncover them all!

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  7. Oddly this post reminds me of the movie "On The Town" with Gene Kelly & Old Blue Eyes. Have you seen it?

    I wouldn't have ever know that Miss Turnstiles / Miss Subway was real. Great post!

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  8. this is great =! i had no idea such a contest ever existed.. Great blog!

    xx
    www.endlesseye.net

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  9. Whoa.. How random! I just had a post on Miss Subways too. Alas, it's not because I was lucky enough to go to this exhibit, rather it was because I encountered a 1945 article in Life on them. I'm green with envy you got to attend this!

    Oh, and if you're curious;) http://liliesandremains.blogspot.com/2013/05/miss-subways.html

    xo Sara

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