FUTEL PHONE LINE — Hudson Hale

FUTEL’S PHONE LINE

The Futel Phone Line is a curious and quietly radical network of free public payphones scattered throughout the greater Portland area.
Created and maintained by a volunteer-run organization, Futel offers free local and long-distance calls, voicemail, and access to community resources—reviving the spirit of public communication in an age of privatized technology. There was something about it though that alwasy felt... off.
After my friend and I tracked down one of the phones, we spent five hours calling every number and extension on the line, mapping out the entire network ourselves. I later transformed our route into a graphic layout and designed a series of complementary posters to visualize the hidden infrastructure of the Futel system.

©HHH

Henry Hudson Hale