Mining the Archives: Vending Machines and Mass Transit
Tuesday, November 18, 2025
2:00 PM ET
Virtual Program
Free
Including over 5,400 linear feet of material, the New York Transit Museum’s archive holds innumerable stories waiting to be told. In the series, Mining the Archives, join Museum staff to uncover transit history.
Did you know that New York City subway stations used to have thousands of vending machines? With its built-in audience and city-wide network, the transit system has been ripe for marketing and distribution opportunities throughout its history. In fact, vending machines were first introduced to the US on New York’s elevated train platforms in the 1880s. Bringing chewing gum, chocolate, and peanuts to the commuting masses, vending machines became a part of underground culture and shaped the future of automated machines across the city and beyond.
Free
All attendees are welcome. You will have the option to turn on automatic captions for this virtual program. Staff will share instructions for how to do so at the start of the event. Please email [email protected] with any questions.
For general inquires email [email protected].
Photo from Subway Photo Essay Collection, New York Transit Museum
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