Podcast Summary: All Of It – "The Subway Sun and Your Subway Poster Memories"
Episode Information
- Title: The Subway Sun and Your Subway Poster Memories
- Host: Alison Stewart
- Release Date: February 18, 2025
- Show Description: ALL OF IT is a WNYC show exploring culture and its consumers, engaging thinkers, doers, makers, and creators about the what and why of their work within the vibrant cultural landscape of New York City.
1. Introduction and Upcoming Events
Alison Stewart opens the episode with exciting announcements about the upcoming February "Get Lit with All Of It" Book Club event. This month, the club will delve into Imani Perry's new book, "Black and How a Color Tells a Story of My People." Additionally, musical guests Bilal, an R&B, soul, and jazz singer, and Esperanza Spalding, a five-time Grammy-winning bassist, singer, songwriter, and composer, will perform. Esperanza is set to begin her 18-day residency at the Blue Note, showcasing music from her latest album "12 Little Spells" and "SongWrite's Apothecary Lab." Alison expresses her excitement about the collaboration between Bilal and Esperanza, highlighting the fusion of their musical talents.
Quote:
"We can’t even begin to say how excited we are for this collaboration." — Alison Stewart [00:36]
Listeners are invited to join the events at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library on Wednesday, February 26th at 6 PM. Tickets and more information are available at wnyc.org/getlit.
2. The History of Subway Sun Posters
The episode transitions to the main topic: Subway Sun posters, a longstanding element of New York City's subway system. Subway posters have been part of the daily commute since as early as 1904, with the Interborough Rapid Transit Company (IRT) introducing the Subway Sun series in 1918. These posters primarily featured Public Service Announcements (PSAs) aimed at encouraging civility, cleanliness, and civic pride among commuters. The campaign ran for five decades, introducing messages about service changes, schedule updates, points of interest, and the allocation of subway fares to improve the transit system.
Quote:
"Culture encompasses religion, food, what we wear, how we wear it, our language, marriage, music, what we believe is right or wrong, how we sit at the table, how we greet visitors, how we behave with loved ones, and a million other things." — Cristina De Rossi [Used in show introduction]
3. The Artists: Fred G. Cooper and Amelia Updike Jones
Jodi Shapiro, curator at the New York Transit Museum, joins Alison to discuss the Subway Sun posters and their significance. She provides an in-depth look into the artists behind the campaign:
Fred G. Cooper
Fred G. Cooper took over as the principal artist for the Subway Sun in the 1930s. Prior to this role, Cooper was the art editor of Life Magazine and a founding member of the American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA). He is credited with creating spot illustrations, akin to modern-day clip art, which could be reused across various publications. Under Cooper's leadership, the Subway Sun posters evolved into a more coherent graphic statement, seamlessly integrating artwork with messaging to capture commuters' attention.
Quote:
"He was the person who made the poster series more of a coherent graphic statement instead of just having an illustration to highlight what the poster was talking about." — Jodi Shapiro [08:53]
Cooper introduced signature elements to his posters, notably birds with question marks over their heads, serving as a visual signature that fans began to recognize and look for in each new poster.
Quote:
"Artists of any kind, usually, besides just their actual written signature, have some kind of signature thing. Or they use a certain color or they use a symbol to be their signature. And Fred's seems to be these birds with question marks over their heads." — Jodi Shapiro [10:04]
Amelia Updike Jones
After Cooper stepped back from the campaign, Amelia Updike Jones took over as the principal artist. Initially assisting Cooper, Jones' work began to reflect his influence before developing her unique style. Now known as Oppie, Jones was one of the few female cartoonists in the 1940s. She was credited with coining terms like "litterbug", derived from the popular "jitterbug" dance, to personify individuals who littered.
Quote:
"She started out, she went to Life magazine and tried to sell her cartoons to Fred. And he made a quip saying that he would either have to buy something from her or marry her to get her to go away." — Jodi Shapiro [15:42]
Jones used expressive illustrations and hand-lettered text to convey messages effectively. Her work often featured Father Knickerbocker, a fictional character embodying the idealized "old New York" spirit, encouraging civic pride and good citizenship.
Quote:
"Father Knickerbocker shows up in a lot of New York centric advertising of the time in the 1940s and even into the 50s." — Jodi Shapiro [19:35]
4. Listener Interactions and Memories
Throughout the episode, Alison Stewart engages with listeners, inviting them to share their memories and thoughts about subway posters. Several listeners call in to reminisce:
- Sheila from Brooklyn fondly remembers the Art Cards, particularly those featuring quirky and whimsical subway riders, such as the marine-themed poster by children's illustrator Sophie Blackball.
Quote:
"I think there was one with the marine theme. There was one by the famous children's illustrator Sophie Blackball that showed, like, this, you know, riders from the subway just acting, just, like, doing their thing." — Sheila [11:40]
- Carolina from Queens shares her vivid memory of the Poetry in Motion series, specifically "Western Wind", a 16th-century poem that left a lasting impression on her.
Quote:
"My most vivid and strong memory of a subway poster in the subway was from the Poetry in Motion series. I saw Western Wind and never forgot it." — Carolina [17:39]
These interactions highlight the enduring impact of subway posters on commuters' daily lives and cultural memory.
5. Cultural Impact and Subway Etiquette
The discussion delves into the effectiveness of the Subway Sun campaign in promoting positive behavior and subway etiquette. Jodi Shapiro notes that while some aspects of commuter behavior have improved, many issues persist:
Quote:
"Lots of it hasn't changed. People still spit, which is disgusting. People still try to squeeze into seats that they won't fit in. People block the doors." — Jodi Shapiro [23:59]
Despite these ongoing challenges, modern campaigns continue to echo the messages of the Subway Sun, addressing similar concerns about cleanliness, civility, and safety within the subway system.
Alison draws parallels between past and present subway etiquette, noting humor in how certain behaviors and campaign messages remain relevant decades later.
Quote:
"Look at these from like 50, 75 years ago. What has changed and what hasn't changed about subway etiquette?" — Alison Stewart [23:30]
6. Conclusion and Exhibit Information
As the episode wraps up, Jodi Shapiro encourages listeners to visit the "Shining a Light on the Subway: The Art of Fred G. Cooper and Amelia Updike Jones" exhibit at the Transit Museum. She emphasizes the value of examining the original artwork and annotations to appreciate the creative process behind the posters.
Quote:
"I would like people to spend some time looking at the original artwork to see the annotations that are there from both Fred and Amelia. It's kind of enlightening." — Jodi Shapiro [25:03]
Listeners are reminded of the enduring legacy of the Subway Sun posters and their role in shaping New York City's cultural and civic landscape. Alison thanks Jodi for her insights and concludes the episode, highlighting the continuous relevance of subway art in daily commutes.
Notable Quotes:
- “We can’t even begin to say how excited we are for this collaboration.” — Alison Stewart [00:36]
- “Culture encompasses religion, food, what we wear, how we wear it, our language, marriage, music, what we believe is right or wrong, how we sit at the table, how we greet visitors, how we behave with loved ones, and a million other things.” — Cristina De Rossi [Introduction]
- “He was the person who made the poster series more of a coherent graphic statement instead of just having an illustration to highlight what the poster was talking about.” — Jodi Shapiro [08:53]
- “Artists of any kind, usually, besides just their actual written signature, have some kind of signature thing. Or they use a certain color or they use a symbol to be their signature. And Fred's seems to be these birds with question marks over their heads.” — Jodi Shapiro [10:04]
- “She started out, she went to Life magazine and tried to sell her cartoons to Fred. And he made a quip saying that he would either have to buy something from her or marry her to get her to go away.” — Jodi Shapiro [15:42]
- “Father Knickerbocker shows up in a lot of New York centric advertising of the time in the 1940s and even into the 50s.” — Jodi Shapiro [19:35]
- “Lots of it hasn't changed. People still spit, which is disgusting. People still try to squeeze into seats that they won't fit in. People block the doors.” — Jodi Shapiro [23:59]
- “I would like people to spend some time looking at the original artwork to see the annotations that are there from both Fred and Amelia. It's kind of enlightening.” — Jodi Shapiro [25:03]
Final Notes
This episode of All Of It masterfully intertwines historical insights with personal anecdotes, shedding light on the enduring influence of subway posters in New York City. Through expert interviews and listener contributions, Alison Stewart and Jodi Shapiro explore the intersection of art, culture, and public messaging, offering listeners a comprehensive understanding of a seemingly mundane yet culturally significant aspect of daily commuting.