Spotted: Mini Subway Tiles Mimic Real NYC Subway Tiles

We’re putting out an all points blast! We’d love to know who is behind this adorable, very meta, art project in the New York City subway. Spotted at the 23rd Street uptown C platform, just under the real tiled sign is a miniature tile that mimics the actual, including the arrow pointing to the 23rd Street exit. If you’ve seen them at other stations, also let us know!

The 23rd Street station is part of the original IND line and the colored tiles correspond to a system devised by Squire J. Vickers, the chief architect of the subway, before and after the lines merged. The colors shift by station as you move away from Manhattan with a system to the madness, as described in this previous article.

For more on the history of the New York City Subway, join us for our tour, where we’ll weave in and out of the past and present transit hubs of lower Manhattan:

Underground Tour of the NYC Subway

Next, check out 10 Original Subway Tiles and Signs in the NYC Subway System and 14 Beautiful Vintage Subway Entrances in NYC.