Working History — 1927
Kiosk, telephone kiosk
The K4 telephone kiosk was adapted by the General Post Office Engineering Department from Giles Gilbert Scott's famous K2 design in 1927. Known as the 'Vermillion Giant', the cast-iron K4 featured an integrated stamp vending machine and letter box. This allowed the kiosk to perform the function of a Post Office out of hours.
The perforated crowns on the roof of the kiosk provided ventilation. The roof also had an external light attached but the one on this kiosk has been removed.
The K4 had several serious design flaws: the noise of the stamp machine disturbed callers and damp weather caused the stamps themselves to deteriorate. The significant size and cost of the K4 ultimately meant it was not viable for the General Post Office in the long-term. Only 50 were produced and no more were installed after 1935.
- Category:
- Working History
- Object ID:
- 2003.2/271
- Object name:
- kiosk, telephone kiosk
- Object type:
- Artist/Maker:
- Carron Company
- Related people:
- Related events:
- —
- Related places:
- Production date:
- 1927
- Material:
- iron
- Measurements/duration:
- H 2900 mm, W 1420 mm, D 1070 mm, WT 1500 kg
- Part of:
- —
- On display:
- —
- Record quality:
- 100%
- Part of this object:
- —
- Credit:
- BT Connected Earth
- Copyright holder:
- BT
- Image credit:
- © BT Heritage
- Creative commons usage:
- —
- License this image:
To license this image for commercial use, please contact the London Museum Picture Library.