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US-BN800 Vanguard egg

Name BN800 Vanguard egg Date Early–mid 1960s introduction, in production into the 1970s Manufacturer Benner Nawman Usage US Phone Booth Further notes The Benner-Nawman BN-800 “Vanguard” BoothManufacturer: Benner-Nawman, Inc. (Glendora, California, USA)Era: Early–mid 1960s introduction, in production into the 1970s🔹 Design & FeaturesShape: Smooth, rounded fiberglass shell with a futuristic, pod-like look — hence the…

NameBN800 Vanguard egg
DateEarly–mid 1960s introduction, in production into the 1970s
ManufacturerBenner Nawman
UsageUS Phone Booth
Further notes
The Benner-Nawman BN-800 “Vanguard” Booth
Manufacturer: Benner-Nawman, Inc. (Glendora, California, USA)
Era: Early–mid 1960s introduction, in production into the 1970s
🔹 Design & Features
Shape: Smooth, rounded fiberglass shell with a futuristic, pod-like look — hence the “egg booth” nickname.
Material: Reinforced fiberglass body with aluminum trim. This made it lightweight and resistant to rust, unlike the older wood or steel booths.
Entry: Usually open-front (no door) to cut down on maintenance and vandalism.
Interior fittings:
Angled fiberglass shelf with mounting space for a single payphone set.
Small overhead light fixture inside canopy.
Wiring routed through concealed conduits in the back shell.
Color schemes: Often molded in white or off-white fiberglass, with interior trims in blue, green, or grey depending on customer order.
🔹 Usage
Marketed for both indoor and outdoor use — shopping centers, airports, campuses, gas stations, roadside stops, and military bases.
Promoted as modern, vandal-resistant, weatherproof, and easy to clean, compared to timber booths and aluminum KS-series Bell booths.
They were sold both to independent telcos and to some Bell operating companies in regions that permitted outside-sourced booths.
🔹 Significance
Represented the 1960s design trend of sleek fiberglass street furniture — much like the Eames fiberglass chairs or streamlined bus shelters of the same era.
While never as common as Western Electric’s KS-19425 aluminum booths, they found a niche in the independent telephone company market, where Benner-Nawman had strong sales.
Surviving examples are now collectible artifacts, often restored by payphone enthusiasts due to their unusual “space age” appearance.
✅ In summary:
The BN-800 Vanguard was a fiberglass “egg booth” made by Benner-Nawman in California from the early 1960s. It was marketed as a futuristic, durable alternative to standard phone booths, and saw wide use in malls, gas stations, campuses, and independent telco territories. Its pod-like, space-age design makes it one of the most visually distinctive American payphone booths ever produced.
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