A collection of over 500 vintage ham radio contact confirmation, or QSL cards, from around the world, dating from approximately the 1950s through the 1990s. Cards measure approximately 3 3/8 x 5 1/2 or 4 x 6 inches each, with slight variations. Currently housed in two Kleer-Vu postcard albums. Some scattered handling wear, edgewear, overall very good. Various places, circa 1950s-1990s.

According to QSL Design, "In the early days of amateur radio, radio amateurs sent a handwritten letter to their contact after a successful radio connection. All relevant information and observations were noted in this letter...As amateur radio grew in popularity, multiple daily radio communications also became more common. Writing long letters...became more laborious and time-consuming...Soon, instead of letters, people began to send postcards with the essential data. In 1916, the first confirmed radio signal was detected by means of a postcard in the USA. The idea of the postcard quickly found favor and was further elaborated. Normal postcards became special cards, with the callsign, address and other fillable fields - the QSL cards. Since then, QSL cards have become an indispensable part of amateur radio."

This large collection of QSL cards spans decades and continents. Some of the places represented in this collection include: Bahrain, Taiwan, Pratas Island, Botswana, Tonga, Palmyra Island, Bhutan, Abu Dhabi, Qatar, Republic of Nauru, Andorra, Cuba, Gambia, Eleuthera Island, Mozambique, Antarctica, Easter Island, Chile, Germany, Bolivia, Portugal, Uruguay, Sable Island, Angola, Palma de Mallorca, Ethiopia, Iran, Liberia, Canary Islands, Guadeloupe, Reunion Island, Tahiti, French Guyana, Wales, Hungary, Scotland, Guernsey, Honduras, Panama, Switzerland, Ecuador, Puerto Rico, Barbados, Nigeria, the United States, and numerous other locales.

A large number of the cards come from locations throughout the Soviet Union and represent a wonderful showcase of Cold War-era graphic design and typography, including Minsk, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Byelorusia, Kazakhstan, Georgia, Lithuania, USSR, Tadzhikistan, Uzbekistan, Ukraine, Estonia, and others.

This collection belonged to Richard George of Minnesota, an amateur radio operator from operating station WØTRF.

Book ID: 53737

Price: $2,950.00