This row of rotary dial payphones used to occupy a portion of the lobby of the Parc Lincoln Hotel at 166 West 75th Street in Manhattan. I used these phones the first time I called the Apology Line, a New York-based telephone art project run by an artist who called himself "Mr. Apology." Mr. A. and I eventually became friends, and worked together on the project, producing a magazine and various forms of publicity -- that publicity eventually led to an 8-page story about Apology in the New Yorker magazine. The phone on the left (the one on top of the phone) was connected to Apology when I took this picture. This photo is probably from 1991 but it could be from late 1990, which was around the time I found Apology. These were old school phone booths with closing doors, fans to circulate the air, and I seem to remember phone books being present though you can't see any in this picture. One night while listening to Apology I was approached by a gay man who tried to squeeze into the booth with me. I remember jamming the door shut with my leg as he tried to make his move, but eventually he went away. He was one of many colorful characters who spent his days and nights sitting in and around the lobby of the Parc Lincoln.
Add Comment |
Add Comment