Centuries of New Yorker cartoons portraying the city's subway system provide insightful commentary on societal trends and human behavior.
In the bustling city of New York, the subway system is more than just a means of transportation - it's a cultural phenomenon, a microcosm of the city's diverse population, and a source of endless inspiration for artists. One such artist is Ellis Rosen, whose cartoons humorously enforce rules about subway etiquette and capture the unique New York City experience.
Rosen's cartoons, on display at the Transit Museum's annex at Grand Central Terminal as part of the exhibit "A Century of The New Yorker's Transportation Cartoons," depict various instances of subway etiquette issues such as people talking loudly, manspreading, and sneaking a peek at what others are reading. However, the cartoonist does not make fun of the etiquette rules themselves, but rather the offenders of those rules.
The exhibit, which is open until October, showcases 100 years of cartoons about the subway, from the first subway comic in the New Yorker from 1925 to the present day. Jodi Shapiro, the curator of the New York Transit Museum, reviewed 500 New Yorker cartoons for the exhibit.
The first subway comic in the New Yorker from 1925 also shows a sign that reads, "Please! Help Us Keep The 'L' and Subway Clean." This early comic, according to Shapiro, encapsulates the New York City experience without explicitly stating it. The cartoons in the exhibit depict the shared experience of using a cramped, dirty, and often unpleasant space that people have to be a part of.
Rosen, who rides the subway looking for characters, humor, and breaches of etiquette, admits to staring at people on the subway and trying to imagine their stories. He might worry about only portraying bad etiquette to be righteously mad at offenders, but he and his family consider the rule about letting others exit a train before boarding as important.
One of Rosen's most notable cartoons from 2019 shows a standoff between two cowboys on a subway platform and in a train doorway, with one cowboy saying, "You ain't gittin' on this train until I git off first." This cartoon, like many of Rosen's works, humorously enforces the rule about letting others exit a train before boarding, a rule that is considered crucial in the crowded New York City subway system.
The subway cartoons, even without explicitly explaining it, capture what it's like to live in New York City. As Shapiro notes, this is a "very New York" thing, waiting to get mad about something. The exhibit includes cartoons from various decades, spanning 100 years of New Yorker's transportation cartoons, offering a fascinating glimpse into the city's history and culture.
