Outliving their utility

Public telephones with shelters were once a common sight on city streets, and provided a way for people to keep in touch with friends and relatives. The photo (above) shows a mother using a public telephone to make a call in Sanya, Hainan province in 1993. But all this has changed.

Now, with the widespread use of mobile phones, public telephones on the streets wear a deserted look. Some of the shelters are used to avoid the sun and the rain, while others could soon be torn down. A woman (below) uses her mobile phone while standing near a public phone installation in Beijing on Friday.