A photographer has transformed a traditional British phone booth into an extraordinary art exhibition featuring images he captured through its glass panels over the past five years. Chris Bennett has been using the phone booth on Penny Street in Lancaster as his unique photographic tool, discovering that the glass creates distinctive tones that make his photographs "spring to life."
Bennett's innovative approach involves shooting through the two glass panes of the phone booth, which creates what he describes as pastel-toned images that look "almost like they're done with crayon." The photographer has spent five years perfecting this technique, using the phone booth as both his camera filter and creative inspiration for capturing street scenes in Lancaster.
The phone booth's fate took a dramatic turn when BT, the British telecommunications company, posted a notice announcing the structure would be removed by the end of the year. However, in an unexpected gesture of support for Bennett's artistic project, BT has allowed him to convert the phone booth into a temporary exhibition space showcasing his unique collection of images before its removal.
The quality and character of Bennett's photographs changed significantly when a BT engineer replaced the original glass panels. Bennett described this transformation as being like having "a clean sheet of paper to work from," and noted that "it was interesting watching the patina build up" on the new glass panes. This change gave his photography project a fresh perspective and new creative possibilities.
The current exhibition encourages passersby to take home photographs if they spot themselves in Bennett's street photography collection. This interactive element adds a community aspect to the project, allowing local residents to become part of the artistic documentation of their neighborhood.
A BT spokesperson confirmed that "the kiosk's planned removal will take place anytime from the beginning of November," though they cannot provide a more specific timeline "as its removal is subject to variable factors." The telecommunications company has guaranteed that the phone booth will be removed before the end of the year, making Bennett's exhibition a limited-time artistic event.
Bennett expressed his satisfaction with how his five-year project is concluding, stating: "If this project was going to finish, this is the best way it could have happened, having BT allow me to stage this exhibition which is fantastic." His work demonstrates how artists can find creative opportunities in everyday urban infrastructure, turning a simple phone booth into a unique photographic tool and exhibition space.
