London Calling – Red British Telephone Box Art

About This Print

If you’re looking for an eye-catching British print, there’s no question that this London Telephone Box print fits the bill. This particular piece of art is far and away my most popular for a simple reason. It connects with people. It connects with Anglophiles and others who love all things British. But what is more surprising is the number of people over the years who have told me that they only had a passing interest in Britain but simply loved this print. There’s no doubt it’s one of those pieces of art that will start conversations. This is a piece that surpasses the subject. It’s the combination of the splash of red and the framing of the scene that matters most.

If you are interested in more background, this particular British Telephone Box stands near London’s Temple tube station on the Victoria Embankment. Long before my first visit to the UK, I had a fondness for the distinctive style of these classic telephone booths. After a few visits that love for them was cemented. Whenever I stumble across a telephone box, I have to pause to capture it for posterity. I guess for me, these old phone boxes are a great combination of form and function. Of course, their function in a day of mobile phones is largely absent, but they retain their great classic 1930’s British style. And rarely these days do we see so much style in something so utilitarian.

I stumbled onto this telephone box while I was waiting for a London walking tour to start. I glanced down the sidewalk near the tube station and saw this beautiful pop of red. But it was more than the color. I was taken with the quality of light and how all of those lines seemed to draw the eye in, There was just a great feeling of depth and perspective and I knew I had to capture this singular moment.

I took this photo a step further, employing a selective color treatment that was used to really make the original bright red of the telephone box pop against the high contrast background that was converted to Black and White. This is a selective color treatment that I don’t use often but when it works, it really works.

And as I said, I’m not alone in that belief. Despite having other prints that sell well, none have surpassed this one so far! It’s unquestionably a true classic that connects with viewers. What about it speaks to you? Does it remind you of a trip to Britain? Does the color make your heart melt a little? Or maybe you just love the style of these old telephone boxes?

Note: This K2 Telephone Kiosk is an English Heritage Grade II Listed Building