In my photographic series, 'London Calling,' I delve into the fading world of Tart Cards. The visual culture of London's disappearing advertising cards no as Tart Card found in telephone boxes.
During the lockdown, I spent several days exploring telephone boxes across London, particularly in areas where Tart Cards have historically been displayed since the 1980s. These cards, once ubiquitous, advertised the services of sex workers and became a significant, albeit controversial, part of London’s visual landscape from the mid-80s to the 90s. Over the last decade, as telephone boxes were decommissioned and authorities intensified their efforts to erase illicit advertising, these cards have almost entirely vanished from the streets.
For me, photographing these remnants was crucial. The ephemeral nature of Tart Cards, coupled with the authorities’ determined erasure of this visual culture, underscores the importance of documenting them. These images are not just photographs—they are a preservation of a disappearing piece of British sex work history, a visual record of a culture that once thrived but is now being systematically wiped away.
In my photographic series, 'London Calling,' I delve into the fading world of Tart Cards. The exploration captures these fragments as they are—diminishing, fragile, yet still present—in the form of worn-out cards, paper, and vinyl stickers clinging to the interiors of telephone boxes. Through this work, I aim to document and preserve a fleeting moment in London’s cultural history before it disappears entirely.
Photographs shown here by Tracey Thorne from the series London Calling: Tart Cards, 2023.
Artist book
A limited edition colour photographic zine accompanies this series and is available to purchase from the artist for £25 here or you can view a copy of the publication on Blurb and a PDF is available to download for £5.
If you're interested in buying, exhibiting or publishing any of the images please contact the artist
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