The forgotten beauty queens of New York: Photographer tracks down women who were once the face of city's subway stations


From 1941 to 1976, each and every New York City subway station had a small poster of a young woman with the name, the neighborhood and the aspirations of that month's Miss Subways.



More than 200 women of all races, ages and backgrounds were crowned during the competition until it was eventually disbanded and disappeared into New York history.



But artist Fiona Gardner has taken it upon herself to track down the borough beauties and photograph them, in a project that explores the life of the everyday, working woman.



Bathing Beauty: From 1941 to 1976, each and every New York City subway station had a small poster of a young woman with the name, the neighborhood and the aspirations of that month's Miss Subways. Angela Vorsteg Norris is pictured

Gorgeous: More than 200 women of all races, ages and backgrounds were crowned during the competition until it was eventually disbanded and disappeared into New York history

Just a Girl: But artist Fiona Gardner has taken it upon herself to track down the borough beauties and photograph them, in a project that explores the lives of the everyday, working woman. Rosalind Cinclini Cantena is pictured



Miss Subways: Ms Gardner said she first became interested in the once defunct beauty contest when she was on her lunch break. Marcia Kilpatrick Hocker is pictured



Ms Gardner told the MailOnline she first became interested in the once defunct beauty contest when she was on her lunch break.



She stepped into Ellen's Stardust Diner in midtown and was suddenly surrounded by posters of Miss Subways and had to find out more.

'Walking around and looking at all these fresh faced young women from a bygone era, and reading the copy on the posters, I wanted to know what happened to these women. Did their lives live up to their placard dreams? Did life take them in another direction?' she said.

Ellen Hart, the owner of the diner, was Ms Gardner's first Miss Subways. Mrs Hart helped Ms Gardner find other contest winners through her collection of posters as well as the reunions she regularly hosts.

With the Stardust Diner as her starting point, Ms Gardner tracked down 41 of the former beauty queens across the country. She worked with award-wining journalist Amy Zimmer to capture the women's lives in insightful interviews as well as compelling images.



'Unlike Miss America who was tall, and blonde, Miss Subways was all shapes, sizes, and ethnicities,' Ms Gardner said.



'I think in many ways New York has always been ahead of it's time, and Miss Subways is a window into the lives of everyday American women over three decades.'

Supreme: She stepped into Ellen's Stardust Diner in midtown and was suddenly surrounded by posters of Miss Subways and had to find out more. Peggy Byrne is pictured

Blue-eyed: Ellen Hart, the owner of the diner, was Ms Gardner's first Miss Subways. Mrs Byrne is pictured in 1952

Now: Mrs Hart helped Ms Gardner find other contest winners through her collection of posters as well as reunions. Saralee Singer Pincus is pictured

Then: With the Stardust Diner as her starting point, Ms Gardner tracked down 41 of the former beauty queens across the country. Ruth Lippman is pictured

The competition, run by the Subways Advertising Committee, was the first desegregated beauty pageant in the country.



'Thelma Porter, a 19-year-old psychology major at Brooklyn College, part-time nurse receptionist in a dentist’s office, “active in social welfare work and ardent church worker" was selected in 1948, 7 years after the contest launched,' Mrs Zimmer said to the MailOnline.



'Unlike Miss America who was tall, and blonde, Miss Subways was all shapes, sizes, and ethnicities.'

Photographer, Fiona Gardner

As a native New Yorker, Mrs Zimmer said she was drawn to the project because it gave her the opportunity to look at how women's roles have changed, or haven't, since the contest started 70 years ago.



'There were Miss Subways that went into showbiz, or had modeling careers, but for the most part their lives took different directions,' Ms Gardner said.



'However I found that even in their, 60's,70's and 80's they looked back on Miss Subways fondly, and felt it was an ego boost that gave them the confidence to be ambitious, and pursue better lives for themselves.'



The duo has launched a Kickstarter campaign to fund the publishing of their book, which includes detailed interviews and gorgeous portraits of the women.

Portrait of the Artist: She worked with award-wining journalist Amy Zimmer to capture the women's lives in insightful interviews as well as compelling images. Enid Berkowitz Schwarzbaum is pictured

Trailblazer: The competition, run by the Subways Advertising Committee, was the first desegregated beauty pageant in the country. Neddy Garde is pictured in 1963

Trek: As a native New Yorker, Mrs Zimmer said she was drawn to the project because it gave her the opportunity to look at how women's roles have changed, or haven't, since the contest started 70 years ago. Eleanor Nash is pictured