Beginning in the 1940s, one of the most exciting beauty pageants in New York City happened underground. For nearly thirty years, local women competed to be Miss Subways, one of 200 women whose photograph and aspirations were featured on nearly 9,000 posters throughout the transit system. When she first heard about this unusual contest, photographer Fiona Gardner immediately wondered: who were these women? What did they become?
Gardner’s curiosity resulted in Meet Miss Subways, a book documenting her journey as she tracked down and photographed as many former Miss Subways as she could find. The book features photographs and the first-person narratives of 41 former Miss Subways, as well as the remarkable stories Gardner discovered in the process of finding each woman.
The original Miss Subways were chosen from a modeling agency, but as the contest grew in popularity, boyfriends, mothers, fathers, cousins and friends flooded the Subways Advertising Committee offices with suggestions. By 1968, subway riders were invited to mail in a vote for one of ten finalists whose pictures were posted on a subway placard each season. “People really campaigned to be Miss Subways,” explains Gardner. “[One] Miss Subways, her mother worked as a cashier at a grocery store, and she got a huge stack of postcards and stuck it next to her cash register. Every person who came through the check out line, she would give them postcards and tell them to vote for her daughter.”
Gardner’s research uncovered many fascinating stories. “There were these radio show hosts called the Clawson Triplets who supposedly became Miss Subways, but it sounded like an urban legend to me,” says Gardner. Through her Facebook fan page, a grandchild of the triplets contacted Gardner. “It turns out they weren’t actually triplets — one of them was an older sister and the other two were twins, but their father constructed their identity as triplets for show business.”
Another standout tale for Gardner was the rags-to-riches story of the oldest Miss Subways she photographed. “She came from Sweden and didn’t have anything when she came to New York,” explains Gardner. “She ended up marrying an oil tycoon in Venezuala, where she had a mansion with 81 Arabian stallions.” Gardner found the woman in Palm Beach, Florida. “She used to have tea with Greta Garbo and the King and Queen of Sweden,” said Gardner. “The Swedish community in New York at the time was very small, so that’s how they knew each other.”

Left:Thelma Porter, Miss Subways of April 1948, the first woman to integrate a beauty contest in America.
Gardner’s book is coming out in September, but she created a Kickstarter page to defray the production cost. The book release will be held at the Stardust Dinner, a Manhattan mainstay owned by a former Miss Subways. While Gardner waits to achieve full funding, she’s reveling in discovering a piece of New York history. “For these women, it was like 15 minutes of fame. It was like being on a reality show today,” explains Gardner. The contest ended in 1976, right when the women’s lib movement took off. Gardner found that most of the women went on to have successful careers in a range of fields: everything from personal trainers to attorneys and even CIA agents.
Miss Subways was the first integrated beauty contest in America, featuring local Chinese and African American women long before any other pageant. “Miss America reflected a certain type of blond, blue-eyed, all-American girl, but Miss Subways was always the every-girl,” remarks Gardner. “When you think about that, that’s kind of radical.”
2 Featured Comments
deb fearon from dizhasneatstuff said 8 years ago Featured
I remember a business downtown, near city hall, that had framed black and white photographs of Miss Subways. I always wondered about those glam ladies and what that contest was about. Great, fascinating article.
Brianna from thehappycouple said 8 years ago Featured
I had remembered hearing from my dad that my grandmother, an Irish immigrant had been a Miss Subways. After seeing the first Etsy post about the book, I went to the Miss Subways facebook page and there was her picture! This is such a fun piece of history and has brought my grandmother, who passed away several years ago, back into my mind. I've also been reminded that it's so important to sit down with older people and get their stories.
78 comments
Hillary De Moineaux from VoleedeMoineaux said 8 years ago
Very cool article!
Elizabeth from TheVintageMistress said 8 years ago
Who is the lovely lady in the first picture??? Is she the Swedish girl who married the oil tycoon... certainly has sparked my curiosity!
Kristina Bilban said 8 years ago
The part about the Swedish community is really interesting..... the ethnic history of New York is so byzantine.
Peshka from Peshka said 8 years ago
Lovely article!
Jess from volkerwandering said 8 years ago
I love that we can find out what happened to these women, neat story!
M Wheatley from wheatleypaperworks said 8 years ago
This window on history is just terrific. Thanks for the article.
TheIDConnection from TheIDconnection said 8 years ago
This is a wonderful story. Thanks for sharing.
Laurie Lewis from ShopHedgerowRose said 8 years ago
Really interesting! I love stories like this.
Natalia from KMalinkaVintage said 8 years ago
Awesome article!
LivingVintage from LivingVintage said 8 years ago
Awesome! What a great idea for a book.
Josie from JosiesBoutique said 8 years ago
lovely story!
Amy from needleandfelt said 8 years ago
Happy to have clicked on this article - fantastic story!
Savanah Macaulay from MyHandmadeHappies said 8 years ago
What an incredible story! I can't wait to read the book!! :)
Debbie from thelittlemarket said 8 years ago
Amazing story!!! I'm hooked!! Can't wait for the book!!
Erin Conley from CurioVNTG said 8 years ago
I love that there is a book coming out about this! One of my favorite old films, On The Town (staring Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra and Betty Garrett among others) has a a plot line that refers to this Miss Subway contest! In the film it's called Miss Turn-style, but her picture and aspirations are printed and hung in the subway too! I have actually always wondered if there was such a contest back then, now I know! -^_^-
Stephanie from Phylogeny said 8 years ago
The book sounds fascinating, especially with the stories that led her to each former contestant. I wish every success for the author and the lovely ladies in the book!
ThePattypanShop from ThePattypanShop said 8 years ago
Very interesting! Thanks for an amazing story!!
wahlrus from wahlrus said 8 years ago
This is the most fascinating article! Thanks for sharing!
Patrick Durkin and Marica Monori from liveandlovepottery said 8 years ago
I am empowered and uplifted by this article! Very cool that we can read about such things on Etsy!
June from isewcute said 8 years ago
Intriguing!
Reena said 8 years ago
I love reading these posts. It's even more fun when you learn something!!! Great article thank you for sharing!
andrea from popalicious said 8 years ago
What an intriguing story! I really enjoyed this...this is very uplifting! Thank you for sharing!
adventuresinsuburbia said 8 years ago
I'll be looking for this when it comes out! A great coffee-table conversation piece - and something to share w/the girls in your life!
accentonvintage from accentonvintage said 8 years ago
Great article!
CleopatraNYC from CleopatraNYC said 8 years ago
Loved this article! It's amazing that my beloved NYC was breaking new grounds from very early on :)
hedaart from hedaart said 8 years ago
Great. love reading it! Thanks.
Megan Moulos from RigbyAndFable said 8 years ago
Maybe it's the books she's holding, or the jaunty scarf, but Thelma Porter takes my breath away!
Nora8Co from Nora8Co said 8 years ago
Great story!!
ModFarmgirl from ModFarmgirl said 8 years ago
This is so neat! Can't wait to get the book!!
liddy sopretty from liddysopretty said 8 years ago
Neat!
Ro from cat2owl said 8 years ago
Lovely article!
June from LovelySeason said 8 years ago
What an intriguing story! Very interesting article,I enjoy reading it! Thanks! Now, the book!
AgelessThings from VintageAgelessThings said 8 years ago
What a wonderful article. The book should be very interesting. Love that these women went on to careers and fascinating lives.
ACupOfSparkle from ACupOfSparkle said 8 years ago
Such a cool article! Thanks for sharing.
Amber from BambuEarth said 8 years ago
wonderful story. thank you for sharing this article. ♥♥♥
Linda from lovelygifts said 8 years ago
Interesting article
sandstormcreations from sandstormcreations said 8 years ago
That is an absolutely amazing story. So interesting. I have never heard this story before. Thanks so much for sharing.
jac from jacandhugo said 8 years ago
Hilarious! These photos and the story of the Miss Subways beauty pageant are precious reminders of a time gone by. Thank you for sharing.
Krysi said 8 years ago
I just got back (literally, several hours ago) from visiting NYC. It truly is a broad and fantastic place. Reading an article like this makes me want to learn so much more about its amazing history and diversity - - And now I'm regretting not checking out the library while I was there. ;) Thanks so much for the great article! :)
Diane from LaughingWaveDesigns said 8 years ago
What a lovely article and so inspiring for these gals when they were young.....I enjoyed this tremendously..thanks alot!..
Lorena Balea-Raitz from LorenasInkDesigns said 8 years ago
Very interesting article!
Nancy from kibblesnknits said 8 years ago
Wow! Thanks for sharing this very cool piece of history. Good luck to the kickstarter project!
HandmadeIsAllAround from iammieOWLshop said 8 years ago
Love this post!
VaLon Frandsen from thevicagirl said 8 years ago
It is so cool, it sounds like so much much fun to read.
deb fearon from dizhasneatstuff said 8 years ago Featured
I remember a business downtown, near city hall, that had framed black and white photographs of Miss Subways. I always wondered about those glam ladies and what that contest was about. Great, fascinating article.
Matejka Max from NattyMatty said 8 years ago
Classic!
Michele Iljazi from OneDecember said 8 years ago
This is so interesting! I'd never heard of this pageant before, and it has so much historical importance! I'm in NYC on a regular basis and can't wait to check out this book!
Joanne Scantlebury Muckart from MadAboutColour said 8 years ago
Wonderful story that was waiting to be told! Delightful!:):)
Brianna from thehappycouple said 8 years ago Featured
I had remembered hearing from my dad that my grandmother, an Irish immigrant had been a Miss Subways. After seeing the first Etsy post about the book, I went to the Miss Subways facebook page and there was her picture! This is such a fun piece of history and has brought my grandmother, who passed away several years ago, back into my mind. I've also been reminded that it's so important to sit down with older people and get their stories.
BlackBirdFabrics from BlackBirdFabrics said 8 years ago
What a story - who would have known - very interesting!
pogoshop from pogoshop said 8 years ago
The woman in the first photo is lovely. It's always neat to see someone who's been able to been able to age with classic beauty and grace.
Hope Winen said 8 years ago
Such beautiful, intelligent women! Lovely story that warms the heart!
Judy Wright from JudithGayleDesigns said 8 years ago
Wonderful concept! Thank you!
Cougar T-Shirt Company from CougarTShirtCompany said 8 years ago
Ahh History, what an amazing thing. Thanks for unearthing such an obscure bit of it. It was interesting to see what the women did for a living. I wonder how they got picked to be in the contest. Thanks for this, it's very neat.
Pearl Springfield from ZoeGraceBlooms said 8 years ago
Love to hear stories of real women! Such a great adventure and discovery for you!
Terry from Parachute425 said 8 years ago
What a great bit of history. Looking forward to the book.
flamingfuchsia from flamingfuchsia said 8 years ago
What a great story. I wish I could go to NY again. It makes me feel brand new.
Erika from ErikaPrice said 8 years ago
Love the story, and the book sounds well worth reading. Thanks for sharing!
Annamaria Potamiti from annamariapotamiti said 8 years ago
Have never heard on Miss Subway before. Fascinating.The book must be terrific reading.
BeachHouseLiving from BeachHouseLiving said 8 years ago
Great story and what is even better is the the book release will be held at a location owned by a former Miss Subways.
Windy City Novelties said 8 years ago
Great story! They need to bring back Miss Subway.
jean from jmayoriginals said 8 years ago
pretty cool. thanks for sharing.
Steven Minchin from StevenMinchin said 8 years ago
What an amazing bit of unknown New York culture. It's particularly interesting, and I guess appropriate, that his became integrated and open to the every day woman.
Nata from dekkoline said 8 years ago
Fascinating! Amazing story. Thanks for sharing.
Victoria Baker from LittleWrenPottery said 8 years ago
Great idea to catch up with the Miss Subways, I wonder if they knew where they were going to end up when they were young!
Gavella Smocked Dresses from gavella said 8 years ago
lovely story!
Katescana from ScanaBella said 8 years ago
Who Knew?! Thanks for sharing this wonderful story! NN is now Scanabella!
Cindy Ellison from CindyEllison said 8 years ago
I loved reading the update this morning. Thank You! ♥
Suzanne Urban from SmirkingGoddess said 8 years ago
I was thinking Ms. Chappell was one of the beauty queens because of her strong, pretty face and the vintage sepia tone of the photo. Duh, then I realized it was the corresponding author pic.
Masko from SiamSquare said 8 years ago
Interesting story. Enjoyed it very much. Thank you!
Suanne from PaperAffection said 8 years ago
I'm totally looking forward to hearing more about this and flipping through the book!
Jessica Beebe from StagVintageGoods said 8 years ago
Ms. Thelma Porter was cute as a button. I love this article. What a neat project.
Danielle from RoseyFinch said 8 years ago
Great article! Such beautiful ladies :)
Gracie from TheBeautyofBoredom said 8 years ago
Pretty cool! Great to see this as a follow-up article.
okan cezayirli from djezair said 8 years ago
This is a wonderful story. Thanks for article
Mike said 8 years ago
Great story, thanks for sharing it.
Sandra Fox from paintedsilkgifts said 8 years ago
I remember traveling on the subway every day and seeing the posters. You brought the story to life and helped me remember those days. Thank you.
Lonell Childred said 7 years ago
Its interesting to see how beauty pageants have evolved over the years and how Miss Subways was the first integrated beauty pageant in 1948, the same year my mom was born. http://LonellChildred.com