HENRY CHALFANT

The painted trains you see in this book are as much a part of the past as the nickel fare and the Second Avenue El. The Transit Authority has successfully enforced a "zero-tolerance" policy on subway car graffiti for the past few years, although the tunnels remain canvases for spray-can artists. From the point of view of most riders, the subway is better off without the graffiti, however, some of the work in this book is truly beautiful and one can feel some nostalgia for the run-down subways of the 1970s. Enjoy some the finest urban folk art America has produced and enjoy today's clean subway as well.