The Red Telephone Box
London England
2011

https://www.sirgordonbennett.com/gordons-bugle/history-of-red-telephone-box/

Go into many a kitchen around the world and on the fridge will be a kitsch magnet or postcard of a red telephone box. For decades, this has been the symbol of London and in fact the whole of Great Britain. A glorious red, iron beacon of tradition. A symbol of communication and of manufacturing prowess. An analogy of the empire, perhaps. A design icon.

The original telephone box, the K1 or Kiosk No1, first appeared on British streets in May 1921. And there are only 2 left on our streets; one on Trinity Square, Kingston upon Hull and the other in Bembridge on the Isle of Wight. They are Grade II listed by Historic England. But the iconic red telephone box that is recognised the world over was initially designed by Giles Gilbert Scott after winning a design competition in 1924. The K2 (as it is officially called) was already destined for a timely demise. Maybe because he modelled it on Sir John Sloane’s 1815 mausoleum for his deceased wife.

But where was the first telephone box? The K2 was only ever designed to be used in London. It first stood tall like a Queen’s Guard, stable and immovable on the streets of London in 1926. The main problem was that the cost of making them was prohibitive for use across the country (nothing seems to change there). So, the post office commissioned Scott to design the K6 in 1935, to celebrate the Jubilee of King George V. 19,000 red monoliths were forged in various foundries across Scotland. Giving them some real heart. 'Made from girders' could have been coined for them.

So iconic is the red telephone box that it adorned the back cover of David Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust and the Spider from Mars album. The box situated on Heddon Street in Soho was where David Bowie emerged as the glam rock Ziggy Stardust. A stellar moment in British pop culture.

Our own memories are of lost coins and reversed calls to parents whilst stranded in some god forsaken hole. The beacon inside guiding us to our salvation, thankful that they were Currant Red. Holding our breath as the stench from its second function as a public convenience attacked our nostrils. Praying someone at the other end of the sticky receiver would pick up. And of reading the calling cards of girls of the night in this unofficial media space. With the simplicity of ‘I Love my job’ and ‘Classy Scandinavian New in Town’ adorning the wall.

Although the usefulness of the K6 has waned with the unrelenting march of the mobile world this symbol of a bygone era has grown stronger. Especially in the heart of the general public.

We now think of them as iconic pieces of British street art. (the general public voted them into the top ten of British icons in a competition run by the BBC and the Design Museum in 2006) They weren’t always looked on with such affection. When first introduced, the public thought that they were an eyesore. The Currant Red was blotting the landscape, especially in rural Britain. Locals demanded the natural beauty of the area was sacrosanct and so grey boxes appeared to appease country folk. Yattendon in Berkshire has a green telephone box. The legend goes that after it was erected and painted red, a local rascal painted it green during the night. And it has stayed that way ever since.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_telephone_box

The red telephone box, a telephone kiosk for a public telephone designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, is a familiar sight on the streets of the United Kingdom, Malta, Bermuda and Gibraltar.

Despite a reduction in their numbers in recent years, the traditional British red telephone kiosk can still be seen in many places throughout the UK, and in current or former British colonies around the world. The colour red was chosen to make them easy to spot.

From 1926 onwards, the fascias of the kiosks were emblazoned with a prominent crown, representing the British government. The red phone box is often seen as a British cultural icon throughout the world. In 2006, the K2 telephone box was voted one of Britain's top 10 design icons, which included the Mini, Supermarine Spitfire, London tube map, World Wide Web, Concorde and the AEC Routemaster bus. In 2009, the K2 was selected by the Royal Mail for their "British Design Classics" commemorative postage stamp issue.

Many of the phone box designs are protected by trade mark registrations and copyright, held by British Telecommunications plc.