You have to hand it to the transit officials in charge of designing subway platforms a century ago. They insisted that stations feature colorful ceramic tiles, terra cotta, and mosaics, and that the design elements be unique to each stop.
Today the MTA continues to restore these decorative motifs. They give each station a little bit of enchantment and a glimpse into the past.
Here’s the J for the Jefferson stop on the L train, in Bushwick:
The number 5 on this 50th Street sign for the 1 train harkins back to an Art Deco era:
A long, fat F for Fulton Street, downtown:
The Brooklyn Bridge 6 stop, with its backward B that looks hand-stenciled:
Ephemeral New York 