The Companion

Home ¦ Index ¦ FAQ ¦ Encyclopaedia ¦ Timeline ¦ Songs ¦ Gallery ¦ E-mail

The Ziggy Phonebox - A quick history lesson

The red phonebox photographed on the back cover of the Ziggy Stardust album was a K2 (Kiosk 2) model which was introduced in 1927. 

Its predecessor had been the K1 - a refurbished concrete version of earlier wooden kiosks.  In 1921 leading architects in the UK had been asked to submit designs for an improved phonebox.

The K2 design by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott was chosen and introduced to London and several large provincial towns. It was the first kiosk of the Post Office Red variety.  Scott's original wooden prototype of the K2 survives, and is still in use as a phone box near Piccadilly Circus.

A K3 in concrete was also built but was not durable although there are still a few around; one in the grounds of Regents Park Zoo, London. The K4 in cast iron was introduced in 1930 but that too developed problems and only 50 were ever made. The K5 was experimental and not put into regular use. 

The K6 (more famously known as the Jubilee box) was also designed by Sir Giles Scott and was introduced in 1936.  This became the standard model phonebox and appeared throughout the entire country.  It was not considered outdated until the 1960s. 

Both the K2 and K6's were replaced in the 1980s by modern blue phone boxes, but they were re-replaced by the K6's as part of the historical renovation of London.

 Heddon Street Fan Pictures

Just to sum up then - the original red wooden phonebox photographed on the Ziggy cover was a K2 model (distinguishable by having 6x3 evenly spaced window panes).

 

The current red wooden phonebox on Heddon Street is a K6 Jubilee (distinguishable by 8x3 oddly spaced window panes).

---This page last modified: 21 Jan 2019---