Telephone boxes

This week's picture feature looks at telephone boxes, specifically the public pay-phones owned by British Telecom, formerly part of the Post Office. The classic red phone box originated in 1926 with the design by Giles Gilbert Scott of Kiosk Number Two (K2). K1, the first standard British phone box, had appeared in 1920 and, unlike the cast-iron K2, was made of concrete. For over 80 years, the red kiosks have been a reassuringly familiar feature of our landscape, much like red pillar boxes and, at least in London, red buses. Now, of course, all that is changing. Mobile phones have hugely reduced the usage of pay-phones and British Telecom has only kept its network because it was under a legal obligation to do so. Now the European Union proposes abolishing this legal requirement and the days of the remaining red kiosks look numbered. That is a great shame - they are a community service and they look great. And if the mobiles are eventually proved to have been frying our brains, we'll miss those lovely old red boxes for more than just their looks.

Last week's pictures were about statues in Brighton

Brighton's statues, the subject of last week's picture feature, have been in the news. On the plus side, a statue of Max Miller (the risque music hall comedian) has been unveiled in the city centre. More negatively, last week saw the theft of a statue of Steve Ovett (the Olympic runner) from Brighton's Preston Park. The police have found, fittingly, one of Ovett's legs, but the rest of him is feared to have been melted down for scrap. This is very sad, since Brighton, despite having some fine statues, does not have as many as the place really deserves. Where, for example, are Laurence Olivier, Aubrey Beardsley and Patrick Hamilton - all with strong local connections. In fact, with Nelson Mandela now on a plinth in Parliament Square, it seems you don't even need to be either dead or have lived somewhere to be commemorated there. Of course Brighton can't lay claim to the undeniable greatness of Mandela, but it could certainly have a better display of famous residents in its streets and parks.

Other recent pictures of the week

A fortnight ago, the picture set looked at a spectacular graffiti wall in Brighton's New England Street. This part of Brighton, just east of the main railway station, is being comprehensively redeveloped after years of neglect. For the past three years, the developers have agreed to an "official" display of artwork graffiti each summer along the hoardings that surround the site. The work is well-executed, vivid and very contemporary. There is perhaps an unpleasant emphasis this year on US-inspired rap and gun "culture". But, sadly, that does reflect real life in at least parts of our towns and cities. Anyway, graffiti should never be like the Royal Academy Summer Show and this display in Brighton is both attractive and very much of our time.

The picture set three weeks ago featured the town of Deal on the Kent coast. Back in the 13th century, Deal was one of the busiest ports in England and the town has a rich maritime history as well as a long association with the Royal Marines. Almost two thousand years ago, Julius Caesar landed at nearby Walmer and the first Roman road still leads inland from the coast. Nowadays, however, Deal is a quiet seaside resort with a charmingly old-fashioned feel to it. Leaving aside the rather ugly concrete pier from the 1950's, the town is blessed with much excellent domestic architecture from the 17th century onwards. Charles Dickens set part of "Bleak House" here and other famous visitors have included Daniel Defoe and Samuel Pepys. Pepys, writing in 1660, described the place as "pitiful". He was wrong. It's a lovely town, an English seaside delight.

The pictures four weeks ago were about bicyclists. Was there ever a more universally beneficial invention than the humble bike ? Certainly not for transport and the environment. And though people might justifiably complain about macho cyclists who charge selfishly along pavements, bicyclists in general are a pretty beneficent bunch. Far better than the tossers in 4x4's for sure. You don't often see a miserable bicyclist, except in the rain or having been cut up by one of the fore-mentioned tossers. That's more than can be said for the average motorist, crawling around the sclerotic roads of South East England.

About this site and picture library

There are now almost 50000 images in the library and they can all be keyword searched from the picture search page. New or updated subjects include telephone boxes, statues, graffiti art, Deal, bicyclists and Amsterdam. The site has several ways to help make relevant and fruitful searches, including index pages for both subjects and events & places.  There is also a useful search guide and information page.

A good showcase of the type and range of photography available can be explored in the pictures of the week series. Published on the site since December 2001, this now totals more than 2700 images. Every week there is a set of ten pictures about a particular place, event or theme. Almost all the library's pictures are available for personal or commercial reproduction. Digital files can be delivered by email or CD, prices start from as little as £8 and there is further information on the prices and terms & conditions pages. You can also contact David Gray for quotations and availability for new photography commissions.