Image series 01 / 2023: Telefonzellen, Call Boxes
"Phone home!"
29 December 2022
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By: Bettina Pfleging
In January 1881, “Fernsprechkiosk” was set up at Potsdamer Platz in Berlin: the world’s first telephone booth. Telephone tickets allowed a few minutes of talk time. In 1899, a coin-operated telephone replaced the system and so even people who could not afford a fixed line could make phone calls for little money. From the 1920s onwards, telephone booths with coin-operated telephones were a familiar sight in public squares and streets, and at times 165,000 telephone booths were to be found throughout Germany. For a few years now, they have no longer existed and the telephone steles that still exist are also being gradually dismantled this year. The number of traditional red British telephone boxes around the world has declined in recent years as well. With the old telephone system in the UK set to be switched off by the end of 2025, the 21,000 public phone boxes that currently remain will need to be upgraded to internet protocol standards. And in New York City, the last payphone was dismantled in May 2022.
Richard Estes. Telephone Booths, Ausschnitt, 1968, Öl auf Leinwand, Schweiz; Diathek online, Universität Trier, Fach Kunstgeschichte
Henry Wessel. Buena Vista, Colorado, Ausschnitt, 1973, Gelatinesilberabzug, 20,3 × 30,3 cm, Rochester; Imago, Humboldt-Universität Berlin, Institut für Kunst- und Bildgeschichte
Joel Meyerowitz. New York City, 1976 [(Platz mit Telefonzellen)], Ausschnitt, 1976; ConedaKOR, Universität des Saarlandes, Fachrichtung Kunst- und Kulturwissenschaft
Marko Lehanka. Telefonhäuschen, Ausschnitt, 1989, Holz, Plexiglas, Metall, Lackfarbe, 27 cm (w) x 47 cm (h) x 27 cm (d) , Berlin; Digitale Diathek, Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen, Institut für Kunstgeschichte
Allan Sekula. David Brown telefoniert vom ECT/Sea-Land Terminal aus mit seiner Frau in Jacksonville, Ausschnitt, 1993, Rotterdam; ConedaKOR Frankfurt, Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main, Kunstgeschichtliches Institut
Sophie Calle. Gotham Handbook [Gesamtansicht/Foto der Telefonkabine], Ausschnitt, 1994, Fotopapier, bunt, Paris; DadaWeb, Universität zu Köln, Kunsthistorisches Institut
PARIS. PariS, Ausschnitt, 1998-11-23, Mannheim; Informationssystem Graffiti in Deutschland (INGRID), Universität Paderborn/Karlsruher Institut für Technologie (KIT)
Banksy. ohne Titel (Scots Guardian Symbol sprühend), Ausschnitt, 2002, verschiedene Materialien, London; Imago, Humboldt-Universität Berlin, Institut für Kunst- und Bildgeschichte
