3. Vintage Advertisements

Every time the MTA brings vintage subway cars out for a nostalgic ride, one of the details most riders notice are the vintage subway ads. The often quirky, sometimes antiquated, and always visually appealing ads offer a glimpse into the habits and customs of the past.

Since the boom of advertising in the 1950s and 60s, the exponential growth of advertising has continued unabated while advertisers seek space wherever they can, especially on the subway, to get their ads in front of our eyes. While many subway ads are now digitized, which can allow for more creativity in advertisers’ use of video elements, we sometimes yearn for the simpler days of colorful and cartoony illustrated ads as well as similarly styled Subway Maps.