| Name | Machin Mercury Kiosk- Interphone TelH90 Kiosk |
| Date | 1994 |
| Manufacturer | Mercury (then Interphone). TelH90 (Telefonhäuschen 90) was manufactured by several different companies in Germany. Link- Fernsprechhäuschen TelH 90 |
| Usage | German style booth- Mercury version of the TelH90 |
Mercury (then Interphone) German style booth
| The 1994 Machin Mercury Kiosk – A Vanishing Relic of British Telecom History Installed in 1994 by Mercury (now Cable & Wireless), this distinctive German-style kiosk was manufactured by Machin and once formed part of Mercury’s ambitious UK payphone network. In July 1995, the Italian-owned company Interphone became Britain’s second public payphone operator after BT, by buying 1,500 former Mercury telephone sites. The Mercury version of the TelH90 had blue on the upper panels, whereas the Interphone had orange. Sadly, it is not believed any examples of Mercury of Interphone TelH90s have survived in the UK. After IPM took over Mercury Payphones in 1995, most kiosks and phones were scrapped, replaced by IPM’s own ‘Interphone’ design. However, this particular style survived longer, especially in cities like Manchester and Birmingham. Eventually, even these were replaced by ad-focused, revenue-driven kiosks. One surviving unit is now derelict, with its phone possibly relocated to London. |
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