The Wolverton-based history hub has introduced an incredibly rare K3 phone box to its extensive phone collection.
The K3 kiosks were designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott and introduced in 1929. By 1935, 12,000 K3s had been installed across the country. They predate the red cast iron kiosks and were made of reinforced concrete.
Only four other examples of the structures are known to still be in existence in the UK. One is in Scotland and the others are at the Science Museum, at London Zoo and at Bromsgrove Museum.
Scott's distinctive red phone boxes have since become known as icons of British culture, but though the window frames of the K3 are painted red, the remaining surfaces of this early example are finished in cream stipple-paint.
Bill Griffiths, Director of Milton Keynes Museum, said: “This is an incredibly important addition to the museum, and we are thrilled to have one in our care. Dismantling, transporting and installing it was a real responsibility for Graham Harris and his maintenance team.
“The phone box is such a symbolic part of British history. We are privileged to have the K3 here at the museum where it is already proving a big hit with visitors – although our telephone team are still installing the equipment.”
The K3 joins a wealth of old telephones in The Connected Earth Gallery. Visitors can enjoy playing at being a switchboard operator, can learn to send and receive morse code and visit the police phone box. Find out more information about Milton Keynes Museum here: https://www.mkmuseum.org.uk
