A Century of New Yorker’s Transportation Cartoons
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The New York Transit Museum is celebrating The New Yorker’s centennial with an exhibit called Commentary on the Commute: A Century of The New Yorker’s Transportation Cartoons that will open next week in the Museum’s Grand Central Gallery & Store. The exhibit will showcase cartoons and magazine covers from 57 artists.
The exhibit highlights the humor, challenges, and peculiarities of public transportation through the lens of some of the most iconic cartoonists of the past century.
Among the highlights are works featuring The New Yorker’s dapper mascot, Eustace Tilley, in subway settings, alongside illustrations by legendary cartoonists such as Saul Steinberg, Roz Chast, Peter Arno, and more. Covers depict transit milestones from the heyday of elevated railways to the modern MTA, poke fun at commuters, and illustrate the unspoken rules of transit etiquette.
New York Transit Museum Director Concetta Bencivenga:
New York’s transportation system and The New Yorker grew up together, each becoming an indelible part of the city’s cultural fabric. Through this exhibit, visitors will see how humor and art have reflected and shaped our understanding of public transit over a century.
Curator Jodi Shapiro:
Cartoonists have an extraordinary ability to distill the essence of city life into a single panel, using humor and art to make the everyday feel both universal and timeless. The New Yorker’s cartoons have shaped how we see the commute—not just as a routine, but as a stage for human comedy, connection, and chaos.
What: Commentary on the Commute: A Century of The New Yorker’s Transportation Cartoons
When: March 26th, 2025 – October 26th, 2025
Where: New York Transit Museum, Grand Central Gallery & Store
Admission: Free
Website: nytransitmuseum.org/exhibits
Request Interview: chelsea.newburg@nyct.com
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