Payphones Past

Fading Tech

LOwell-8-7600. Another Brucker Fence. Englewood, NJ

Spotted this new-to-me old Telephone EXchange Name number today: LO-8-6700. In NYC "LO" stood for "LOngacre," and I thought that…

4 years ago

USPS Blue Mailboxes: The Next Vanishment

It's not that mailboxes are vanishing. Instead we are losing distinct stamps of age that showed how some humble little…

6 years ago

Those new outdoor phone booths are so doggone handy …

The advertisement below appeared in the August 6, 1957, edition the Panama City News-Herald. It appeared in numerous publications nationwide.…

9 years ago

NBC Affiliate in Denver Talked to “The Guy Who Runs the Payphone Project”

I did a short interview yesterday with Channel 9, an NBC affiliate in Denver, on the occasion of anniversary of…

9 years ago

What Was “Tracekit”?

An abandoned payphone in Queens bears an interesting notice which claims that the phone is marked with something called "Tracekit",…

9 years ago

New York Public Telephones: There’s Nothing More New York

Once in a while in my research a charming cultural relic surfaces, such as this peppy New York Telephone commercial…

10 years ago

Adele’s “Hello” Video: It’s All About The Phone Booth

Pundits and techies pounced on the appearance of a flip phone in the video for Adele’s latest song “Hello”, calling…

10 years ago

Radio Interference, Payphone Style

Even if you actually wanted to make a call from this payphone it would be very difficult to communicate with…

11 years ago

Trailer for “Hang Up” – A Payphone Documentary

Earlier this year John Porter (of East Harlem Unity Communications) and I appeared in "Hang Up" - a payphone documentary…

11 years ago

Vintage Chronographs and Payphones

What was the connection between chronographs and payphones? Find out at WristTimes.com.

11 years ago