"In the late nineteenth century, as cities like Boston and New York grew larger, the streets became increasingly clogged with horse-drawn carts. When the great blizzard of 1888 brought New York City to a halt, a solution had to be found. Two brothers--Henry Melville Whitney of Boston and William Collins Whitney of New York City--pursued the dream of his city being the first American metropolis to have a subway and the great race was on. The competition...

Tod Lange, artist and subway archivist, presents more than 150 images of his favorite train lines, graffiti painted cars, stations, subway yards, and work equipment that defined one of New York's bygone eras. -- Publisher's description.