The Iconic Red Phone Box

                                                      

                                                        One of the older ones still on the street

You might think that fads began with the internet, planking, slapping and ice buckets are three that come to mind but they have been around since human beings could talk. The Neanderthals probably thought of a fashionable hair plait, ancient Britain’s might have sported a new design of wode on the face.

Could you get 25 South Africans in here?

In the 1950s there was a trend for how many people you could stuff in a phone box that later went tolhow many people you could stuff in a mini car.

The world record for ‘phone box stuffing’ was set in 1959 when 25 students at Durban YMCA stuffed themselves into a standard phone booth. It’s recorded that when the phone rang nobody could answer it. Other attempts on the world record have failed due to cheating, ie not enough of the body parts in the box, or the phone box was lying down.

The red telephone box is a very British thing. The first one  was called K1,  and the second incarnation, (K2!) has been voted as one of Britain’s top 10 design icons. There's a  whole series of K’s from 1 to 6 ending in KX in 1985. I was disappointed that they never named one K9.  

                                  

                                 Photo from an article in the Guardian - the Soanes family toomb, and K1

The Red Box It was initially designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, the dome on the top is reminiscent of the mausoleum of Sir John Soane. There are still 7 KI boxes – kiosk number 1 - in  Britain, that are upright snd functional in some way.  They were placed on the streets in 1921 so they have been about for a long time.  These seven have been listed by Historic Britain for their protection and they are objects of such affection that villages are able to adopt them legally, as well as buy them outright as a community space. 

In 1925,  there were a 100 of them, mostly in London. By the  time we get to 1980 there were 73,000 new ones produced, with 5 foundries making the cast iron kiosks. They are were mostly manufactured in Scotland.  By that time, there was 132 000 of them on the streets.

                                                  

                                                                          Wrong!

The Brits are very protective of them. Questions were asked in Parliament when GPO  tried to change their colour.  There was outrage, protests etc, nowadays there would be twitter spats and calls for larger phone boxes for the claustaphobia sufferers. 

The Tudor Crown on the side became the St Edwards Crown  and at that point the Scottish phone boxes changed theirs to have the Crown of Scotland. They were made with a removable plate that could carry whatever emblem was accurate.

There are many uses for them:

Shower cubicles in private homes.

Shower cubicles on piers and beaches

As an artwork installation, like these ones resembling a row of fallen dominoes

                                              

Libraries for small books in small places (called a micro library)

                                                   

Art galleries selling cards and small prints.

Art galleries with the art being projected onto the streets and walls outside.

They house defibrillator units.

Mobile phone charging units  ( oh the irony)

Coffee shops

Restaurants  for small gatherings

Colour therapy box with stained glass windows, you stand inside and are forced to relax.

Salad Bars

Cake shops

Memorial box for those who have passed

They could, I suppose, become very small writing spaces, or just somewhere to sit and people watch. Everybody will wonder what you are up to. 

Weird. Interesting and more British that James Bond eating chips and a Bacon Butty!

Caro