Miss Subways You can have your Miss America or Miss Universe. My object of fantasy was always Miss Subways. I remember my treks to work during the 60s and 70s enlivened by photos and accompanying biographical info of the more than 200 NYC Miss Subways chosen to grace the inside of cars from 1941 through 1976. I often wonder what became of these lovely women. One, named Barbara Peer, was mugged on the subway, but that seems to be the extent of the lasting fame these beauties achieved. However, during the term they held the title of Miss Subways, these women were highly sought after. One, named Ruth Ericsson, received 258 proposals and an orchid a day for six months from one obsessed male straphanger. A bakery truck driver sent her a lemon meringue pie three feet in diameter. That’s what I call love. They christened new subway cars like ocean liners and were feted in Japan by transit officials as if they were Miss Universes. At one point 1500 soldiers petitioned for an audience with Miss Subway. This naturally went to the heads of some winners, who ended up demanded fur coats and cars, which they were never given. Subway tokens for a life-time of rides would have been more appropriate. Another Miss Subway, Ellen Hart Strum from Queens, was apparently a dead ringer for Elizabeth Taylor. When she received the title, she thought she was on her way to Hollywood, but unfortunately the 5 train goes only as far as the Bronx. She ended up on the cover of some detective magazines and did a stint singing in the Catskills. She eventually opened a coffee shop near City Hall, which paid the bills. To be eligible to be Miss Subway you had to be a New York City resident and ride the subway, which is why, in my opinion, the most successful Miss Subway, Mona Freeman, doesn’t qualify. She lived in the suburbs and never rode the subway, but after somehow finagling her way to the title, she was signed by Howard Hughes for a movie contract and appeared in 20 films with the likes of William Holden, Betty Grable and Alan Ladd. It was rumored that she was romantically involved with Frank Sinatra, but so were half the women in America. I would imagine that a good percentage of Miss Subways are now dead and gone, but I would like to honor these women and thank them for sweetening my subway ride. Their retro hairdos will always signify true beauty in my eyes.
Posted on: Sun, 17 Aug 2014 18:37:46 +0000
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