No, you hang up first...

Phone booth at College St west of Markham St, Toronto.
Photo credit: Liis Toliao

What an adventure we’ve been on since September 2011.  What began as an idea to give the public phone booth some artsy love became more than 3 dozen artists and authors generously giving of their time and art, a publication and a gallery show!

When asked about the project, talk often flowed into reminiscing about telephone booths: the last time we saw one, the last time we saw someone use one, the last time we used one ourselves. Friends and family that went on vacation sent us photos of pay phones from far away places.

We’re sad to see you go, Tel-talk.  It's been magical.

"Your call cannot be connected as dialed.  Please hang up and try your call again.

This...is a recording."

Pay phone in Cusco, Peru.  Sent to us from Mel.

Tel-talk closes this Saturday

See some great art and pick-up the book at The Telephone Booth Gallery. 

Order the book online through Tightrope Books. 

art of conversation ignites a fiery debate

Sharlene Rankin of Telephone Booth Gallery has written about the recent fire set to the booth at Pacific and Dundas that had been transformed by Red Wagon.

Pop-up Memory Shop by Charity Miskelly

Install at 9 pm last Saturday, just as nuit blanche London ramps up...

... memories shared and observed as shop shuts down for the night.

Charity has this to say about the experience:

As soon as the lamps were lit inside the Pop-Up Memory Shop, a man approached the booth, “Can I use this phone to make a call?” He proceeded to call someone, seemingly unaware and untouched by the transformation the booth had just undergone. He was the shop’s first visitor.

The shop was up from 9 pm to 3 am for passerbys to post their memories and thoughts on the walls. Paper, pencils and tape were found in the shop, along with a note instructing people to use the space to share their ponderings.  

The shop was flooded with visitors from the moment it opened. The air was thick with curiosity.  There was no hesistation. The crowds stopped, looked, picked up a pencil and paper, and began to write.  

People weren’t sure if the phone was real. One person asked “Did you bring this telephone booth down here?” 

An hommage to the conversations that have littered the walls of the booth for years, the posted ‘text messages’ took on a life of their own. Messages upon messages piled up, each adding another layer to the booth’s collection of thoughts. People were writing on the paper, on the deck of vintage cards, even on the coasters. As long as they could take part.