Former ‘underground’ beauty queens reunite for unveiling of Miss Subways Wall of Fame

Ellen Hart, the 85-year-old owner of Ellen's Stardust Diner and a former Miss Subways winner, was honored in Manhattan on Tuesday (June 30), as New York celebrated her birthday, her Times Square institution and a nostalgic chapter of the city's transit history.

Hart, who was named Miss Subways in 1959 at age 17, was joined by five other former titleholders at the retro-themed diner, where guests applauded as a Marilyn Monroe impersonator serenaded her with "Happy Birthday." Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal presented a proclamation declaring June 30, 2026, "Ellen's Stardust Diner Appreciation Day."

The event also marked the unveiling of a Miss Subways Wall of Fame inside the diner, featuring framed photographs of past winners from the contest, which ran from 1941 to 1976.

"There was no social media, so you had to be noticed by being in a contest," Hart said. "Miss America was around at that time and Miss Rheingold. This was of women of interest - attractive women that had interesting things to say."

The Miss Subways campaign became a fixture of subway culture, with winners' portraits displayed in train cars across the city. What began as an effort to draw attention to transit advertising evolved into a popular monthly contest celebrating everyday New York women and their ambitions.

The contest was notable for reflecting the city's diversity earlier than many national pageants, naming its first African American winner in 1948 and first Asian American winner in 1949. Miss America did not crown its first African American winner, Vanessa Williams, until 1984.

Among those attending Tuesday's reunion were Mary Gardiner Timoney, Dolores Mitchell Byrne, Maureen Walsh Roaldsen, Eileen Ryan Keating and Heide Hafner, representing winners from the 1950s through the 1970s.

Camera, Production, Editing, Writing: Roselle Chen/Reuters