Gilbert the Phone Box

As the old adage goes, when life gives you lemons, make lemonade. The same philosophy applies when old technology is outpaced by current trends. Take for instance, police callboxes that have been converted into mini sidewalk cafes. Or in the case of the gentlemen’s tailoring shop Stewart Christie and Co. in Edinburgh, an iconic red telephone box that has been converted into a photo booth.

The phone company British Telecom started a program called “Adopt a Kiosk,” which gave communities a chance to keep their phone boxes and find new uses for them. The charity organization Save the Children purchased one, which the good people at Stewart Christie’s, the oldest outfitters in Scotland, christened as “Gilbert,” after Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, the designer of the telephone box. The internal fabrication was then left up to the father and son duo of Fredrick and Daniel Fearn, who created a small pocket of wonder and whimsy.

Inside the kiosk, visitors will find a wide assortment of hats and books. And all who enter are encouraged to dress up and take photos. For a small donation, guests are allowed to explore the various nooks and crannies of this creatively re-used space. The antique phone is no longer operational, but you might have better luck with file drawers labeled “stuff” and “nonsense.”