pay phone story

Payphone Story – Global History of Payphones and Phone Booths

Swedish Phonebooth- Televerket’s Model 1961 (M61)

Televerket’s Model 1961 telephone kiosk modernised the earlier 1941 design. Contrary to some descriptions, originals were made principally from pressed steel, not aluminium, with toughened-glass windows, illuminated signs and timber flooring. Finished in distinctive “teleorange,” it contained a coin telephone, triangular shelf, directory rack, lighting and door closer inside.

Name	Televerket’s Model 1961 (M61) telephone kiosk
Date	c. 1961 (original model 1941) Since 1959, the Televerket had started using a fiery yellow colour, “teleorange”.
Manufacturer	Telegrafverket’s Rikstelefon network

Above- the original model was from 1941. Very modern design for its time.

Swedish Phonebooth- Televerket’s Model 1961 (M61) telephone kiosk

This is Televerket’s Model 1961 (M61) telephone kiosk, introduced around 1941 and widespread through the 1960s–80s. The kiosk was principally constructed from pressed steel sheet, with toughened-glass windows, plastic illuminated “TELEFON” signs and a timber-slatted floor.

The 1960s version was essentially a modernised development of Televerket’s 1941 kiosk, retaining the elevated body and open lower legs but adding rounded window corners and a glazed door. It was finished externally in Televerket’s distinctive “teleorange”, adopted in 1959 for kiosks and service vehicles, with pale green interior walls and a white ceiling.

Inside were a laminated triangular shelf, telephone mounting plate, directory rack, lighting, door closer and connection box. Heavily used kiosks could receive an enlarged coin container below the telephone. Surviving examples often have their lower panels, doors or signs missing, explaining the variations in your photographs.

The precise manufacturer is not identified in the museum catalogue, suggesting it may have been produced for Televerket by several metal-fabrication contractors. A museum example was restored from Televerket’s original 1961 drawings. Tekniska museet identifies it as steel, not aluminium. Modern lightweight reproductions, however, are made from aluminium—which may be the source of the confusion.