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Flashback: Watch A 1961 Documentary About The "Daily Miracle" Of The Subways
By
Ben Yakas
Published Nov 17, 2012
Modified Nov 17, 2012
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By
Ben Yakas
Published Nov 17, 2012
Modified Nov 17, 2012
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When Hurricane Sandy swept into town a few weeks ago, it was the most debilitating event in the history of the MTA, shutting down various lines for the longest amount of time they'd ever been shut down. It literally caused major parts of the city to stop functioning, something that was predicted in the vintage 1961 MTA documentary on the transit system below: "They ride together, and in this journey can be seen the daily miracle that is the NYC transit system, upon which the very existence of the city and its people depend, and without which they would literally cease to function."
It's pretty great seeing all the old footage of the subways ("the miracle of the 20th century") carrying their "previous cargo of human life," although it meant that a few undercover/plain-clothed police officers had their cover blown. In case you missed it, check out the series of hilarious, honest, self-deprecating, and altogether awesome MTA ads from 1989.
Tagged
daily miracle
documentary
flashback
MTA
subway
Ben Yakas
Ben Yakas is a former Gothamist reporter.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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