Faraday Building : booklet issued by the GPO : London : nd [c.1933] : The London Toll Exchange

A rather fine booklet issued by the GPO - General Post Office - about the Faraday Building on Queen Victoria Street in London that was "the centre of the British telephone service". Here was centred not just two major local telephone exchanges - City and Central - but also the origination point for all international calls and radio services.

 

The original building had been opened in 1890 to serve the Post Office Savings Bank and part was first used for telephone purposes in 1904; long distance services were added in 1904. The booklet is undated but makes play of the opening of the purpose built International Telephone Exchange section in 1933, designed by A.R. Myers, architect in the H.M. Office of Works. Faraday House was further extended in 1938/39 to deal with increasing service requirements and, in 1942, a more secure wing known as the Citadel was constructed.

 

The booklet describes the various services in detail and a selection of pages are scanned here. In terms of graphic design it is very much in line with the corporate 'look' of the GPO at the time that was often very contemporary in terms of both design and typography. Oddly no designer nor printer is shown.

Done