The Coronation of a Transit Queen

Each contestant at the Miss Subways Pageant, held last week in Brooklyn, made a case for what the subway means to them. “This is about that feeling when it’s 3 a.m. and you feel like you’re going to vomit and you want any train to come and take you anywhere,” began one contestant before launching into song.

For decades, the pageant had been on hiatus. The last such event was held in 1976 by the New York Subway Advertising Company; the winner appeared on posters in the train cars. This revival, held at The City Reliquary museum in Williamsburg, had a few updates. People of all gender identities were allowed to participate, and some of the acts in the show’s talent portion (which including disrobing, tarot reading, and shake weights) might not have won over judges in the ‘70s.