Pair Of K6 Telephone Kiosks (In Front Of Nos. 41, 41A And 43)

MARLOW

826/0/10014 HIGH STREET 26-OCT-10 Pair of K6 telephone kiosks (in front of Nos. 41, 41a and 43)

II Pair of K6 telephone kiosks.

DESCRIPTION: The K6 is a standardised design made of cast iron, painted red overall with long horizontal glazing in door and sides and with the crowns situated on the top panels being applied not perforated. There are rectangular white display signs, reading TELEPHONE beneath the shallow-curved roof. This pair of kiosks are intact, in good condition and in this case provide examples of the two different designs of crown used in England. The northern kiosk has the George V Tudor Crown in use from 1936 until replaced by the St Edward's Crown of Elizabeth II in 1952 as seen on the southern kiosk.

HISTORY: The K6 telephone kiosk is a milestone of C20 industrial design. The K6 was designed by Giles Gilbert Scott in 1935 for the General Post Office, on the occasion of King George V's Silver Jubilee. The K6 was a development from his earlier highly successful K2 telephone kiosk design of 1924, of Neo-classical inspiration. The K6 was more streamlined aesthetically, more compact and more cost-effective to mass produce. Giles Gilbert Scott (1880-1960) was one of the most important of modern British architects; his many celebrated commissions include the Anglican cathedral of Liverpool and Battersea power station. The K2 and K6 telephone kiosks can be said to represent a very thoughtful adaptation of architectural tradition to contemporary technological requirements. Well over 70,000 K6s were eventually produced. In the 1960s many were replaced with far plainer kiosk types. But many still remain, and continue to be an iconic feature on Britain's streetscapes.

REASONS FOR DESIGNATION: This pair of K6 telephone kiosks are designated at Grade II for the following principal reasons: * Prominent position on the High Street of this historic market town; * Close visual association with at least six listed buildings including the Grade II* listed Nos. 41 and 41a.