R-DAY - Rockaway Here We Come!

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The New York City Rapid Transit System announces that on June 28th of 1956 -subway service will be extended to the Rockaway Beach - specifically celebrating Rockaway's Playland.
In large yellow posters that were displayed in subway cars on all three lines (IRT/BMT/IND) - banners screamed "Subway Goes To The Sea" and rhymed "Live & Play In Rockaway."
Specifically speaking, in the "art form" known as "advertising" - this type of material is known as "car cards" - a term taken from where they were first used - in trolley cars back in Chicago in the early 1900s. These large easy-to-read posters were mounted in specific spots above windows in those early trolleys and soon progressed to be included in subway cars as well as on the street omnibus.

Back in the mid 1950s, the transit system printed a new yellow banner almost every month - giving some kind of news that was pertinent to underground travel and they developed a "newspaper" format and called these bulletins "The Subway Sun. " These particular bulletins were intermixed with other commercial

advertising of the day - and joined the ranks of such classics as "does she or doesn't she? Only her hairdresser knows for sure." And "my beer is Rheingold, the dry beer - think of Rheingold whenever you buy beer." And the classic for the Speedwriting Institute (an easier system of business shorthand) - "if u en rd this u en gt a gd jb with hi pa".

Most of that advertising (the car cards) was printed in full color on heavy cardboard stock so it would last for at least the month or so during which the time was compensated. The "Subway Sun " banners were printed on a flimsy paper material and the actual reproductions were rather crude and sloppy and within a week or so, most of them would have collapsed due to their own lack of strength -so they seldom lasted for the full month. Usually they ended up on the floor of the subway cars and would be carted away with the rest of the day's trash. And that is what makes our display so unusual. The fact that this large piece of paper has lasted over fifty years to provide us with some wonderful memories of times long ago.