Vintage photos show how commuting on the New York City subway has changed
From the passenger conduct to the advertisements on the train, see how things have changed since the subway opened in 1904, and how some have stayed the same.
Apr 16, 2025 - 17:58
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Commuting on the subway has been popular for New York City residents since the system's opening.
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Commuting on the subway has been a staple of New York City life since the early 20th century.
Its early days saw much integration and expansion, shaping what the system is like today.
Vintage photos show how the subway evolved and how it's still the same in some ways.
The world today looks a lot different than it did when the New York City subway first opened in 1904, but in many ways, the train has remained the same.
The subway system, which saw over a billion subway rides in 2024, according to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), has been a staple of city life since the turn of the 20th century.
In the decades since, the subway system has helped define and enhance the development of America's busiest city.
From passenger conduct to advertisement posters on the train, photos show how commuting on the subway has evolved since it opened in 1904, and how much has stayed the same.
New York's first underground railroad line started running under Broadway in Manhattan in 1870.
The first iteration of the underground subway operated using pneumatic force from a big fan.
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The short-lived Beach Pneumatic Transit, a one-block underground train line running from Murray Street to Warren Street under Broadway, opened in 1870.
Unable to secure the required permits to expand the line, the passenger car closed in 1873.
The New York City Subway opened in 1904 and saw immediate demand.
Closed in 1946, the City Hall Loop station was one of the original 28 stations of the New York City subway.
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An estimated 100,000 rode the underground train on its first day, The New York Times reported.
Before the subway opened, transit in the city was conducted by a network of trolleys, elevated trains, horse-drawn carriages, and omnibuses.
Some subway cars briefly operated as women-only.
The cars aimed to reduce the incidence of sexual harassment on the subway.
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From April to July 1909, the Hudson and Manhattan railroad line — which now operates as the Port Authority Trans-Hudson, or PATH, line — reserved the last car of every rush hour train for women passengers only, a result of women's rights activism of the era, according to a Federal Highway Administration study.
Newsboys would often flock to train stations looking for potential buyers.
Young boys were often seen near the subway stations selling newspapers.
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The prevalence of child labor in the city meant that young boys often took up labor, many times as newspaper sellers on the streets.
The newsboys and girls would buy bundles of 100 newspapers directly from the publishers for 60 cents in 1899, according to the American Postal Workers Union. They would usually make about 50 cents in profit each day.
Newsboys and girls were commonly seen around subway stations up until the 1930s, when child labor regulations began to crack down on the employment of young children.
While rapidly gaining popularity, the subway system remained privately owned until 1940.
Soon after its inception, the subway system became popular among city residents.
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The expanding subway system was operated by a group of privately owned companies: the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company, which the Brooklyn-Manhattan Transit Corporation succeeded, and the Interborough Rapid Transit Company, which operated the first subway lines opened in 1904.
The system was unified when the city bought the Interborough Rapid Transit Company and the Brooklyn-Manhattan Transit Corporation in 1940, according to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA).
Nickel-operated turnstiles were introduced in 1921.
The turnstiles alleviated the need for gate operators.
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The subway implemented coin-operated turnstiles in 1921, according to the Electric Railway Journal. Before that, passengers purchased paper tickets that operators cut at the station's gate.
Advertisements lined the subway cars from early in its history.
A worker's commute was decorated by illustrated ads and courtesy reminders.
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Since its opening in 1904, advertisements have been surrounding the subway stations and cars.
At first, subway advertisements faced strong criticism until a 1907 Supreme Court case decided that the subway authority was ultimately allowed to run advertisements on the stations and cars, as reported by The New York Times.
During wartime, liberty bonds were advertised on subway stations.
Subway entrance advertisement promoting liberty bonds used in WW1.
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Among the many ads of the time posted on subway stations and cars were posters encouraging passengers to buy liberty bonds to support the country's war efforts.
By 1933, city officials were making efforts to cool down subway cars.
City officials believed that better air circulation would help public health concerns about the subway.
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Just the year after the subway's opening in 1904, efforts to cool down stations during the hot summer started with the installation of ceiling fans on the Brooklyn Bridge station, as reported by The New York Times.
It wasn't until 1933 that officials began overseeing the addition of ceiling fans on subway cars to combat the summer heat.
By the 1950s, air conditioning was introduced on some newer subway cars, although the majority remained without cooling.
Some subway stations even had diners and convenience stores.
Subway passengers could enjoy food without leaving the underground stations.
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In the 1960s, some subway stations featured quick-service restaurants for passengers looking for a bite before their commute.
Subway cars started featuring courtesy advertisements in 1918.
The Subway Sun began spreading messages of passenger courtesy to subway riders in 1918.
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The Subway Sun, a series of subway ads, started running in 1918, the New Yorker reported.
Similar to the MTA's "Courtesy Matters" campaign, which features subway etiquette advertisements on subway cars and stations, The Subway Sun encouraged riders to be mindful of the space they occupy on the train and not cause disturbances to other riders, TimeOut reported.
Early redesigns of the subway layout hoped to balance standing room with comfortable seating.
By 1928, transit authorities hoped to have cars that were at least 50% open space for efficient movement.
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According to the New York Transit Museum, the 1928 design of subway cars was made to fit tracks used by both the Interborough Rapid Transit and Brooklyn-Manhattan Transit Corporation, and also aimed to increase comfort and ease of movement for passengers during rush and off-peak hours.
The expansion of the subway helped shape New York City's development.
The subway helped alleviate the high density that defined city life in the early 20th century.
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The expansion of subway lines allowed for quick and efficient commutes and thus helped distribute the city's population throughout the outer boroughs, easing up the high population density of the 19th century, according to the Transportation Research Board.
Subway ridership peaked in the 1940s.
Before personal cars achieved wide popularity, the subway saw millions of passengers each day.
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A record for the most subway riders seen in a single day was set on the day before Christmas Eve in 1946, The New York Times reported.
The subway system saw over 7 million riders that day, a record that can be compared to the modern ridership of both the subway and bus systems combined.
Still, subway riders haven't changed much in the past 100-plus years.
Even back then, passengers could be seen reading, talking, and sleeping on the train.
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Just like today, but without cellphones, subway passengers would often read the news, chat with friends aboard, or take quick naps on the train.
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