Nobody uses them but public phone boxes are still well loved. For a few weeks this summer while we host the Olympics, London has allowed a few of its traditional red phone boxes to be transformed by selected artists. It's a nice idea. London is one of the few cities where you can still find red phone boxes with working phones installed.
This is my local phone box, just outside Cambridge. Like many others around the country, It's been converted into a book exchange. Anyone and everyone is free to browse and help themselves.
The idea works very well, the box is always stuffed full of books of all genres. My friend above is holding a sporting biography that was published this year.
It's been years since I've seen a phone booth here in the US. They sort of snuck away quietly. Now when I see one in an older film it's like, "Oh yeah! I remember phone booths!" But of course nobody has nor had the red darlings you British made your calls from. I'm pleased to know they've been preserved.
ReplyDeleteNow that little book exchange repurposing idea makes my heart sing! I wish we had them here; it occured to me that on those nights my own loaded shelves fail to inspire me, I could pop down and search the booth for a bedtime story.
Dear mr. Irving, my friends and me are going to make an exhibition about book interventions in public spaces. The exhibition will be a part of Moscow municipal program "Books in parks" and one of the main russian book-fairs "Nonfiction" (http://www.moscowbookfair.ru/eng/about.html). Your photo with the bookshelves in phonebox really suits to our purpose.
ReplyDeleteso we'll be appreciated if you can provide us with high-res photo
is it possible?
courtesy yours
Maria Fadeeva
http://www.knigivparkah.ru