The New Yorker Cartoons: 100 Years of NYC Commuting Humor

The New Yorker's Centennial Exhibit

• 💡 The New Yorker magazine is celebrating its centennial birthday with a special exhibit at the New York Transit Museum.
• 🎯 The exhibit, titled "Commentary on the Commute," features approximately 95 cartoons that highlight a century of insights into daily life in the NYC transit system.

Cartoons as Social Commentary

• 🎨 Cartoons from The New Yorker are described as capturing the zeitgeist of the time, offering a snapshot of life and movement in the region.
• 🖼️ The curator focused on selecting cartoons with strong composition that could be humorous and understood without a caption.
• 🎭 Examples include classic themes like "manspreading" and the relatable annoyances of crowded trains.

Evergreen Themes in Transit Humor

• ⏳ Many of the cartoon themes are evergreen, resonating with commuters today just as they did when they were created.
• 🚇 Topics covered range from delays and romantic encounters to the everyday experience of strangers in close proximity on public transport.
• ⚠️ The exhibit also includes powerful visual reminders, such as a cartoon from March 2020 depicting Grand Central when the city shut down due to COVID-19.

Exhibit Details

• 📍 The exhibition is housed in the Transit Museum's Grand Central Gallery.
• 🗓️ The exhibit is free to the public and will be on display through October.