Rhode Island QSL cards collection

Collection — Box: 1

Identifier: 142-04

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The collection consists of approximately 300 QSL ham radio cards mailed to Rhode Island radio stations by ham radio operators from around the world between 1930 and 1989. Each card documents the sender's call letters along with the date, time, and location where a radio station message was received. Most radio stations included in this collection operated out of Providence County. Many of the cards also contain a graphic image representing the institution or area in which the message was received. Most cards consist of humorous drawings with text identifying the creator by nickname and geographic location. Many include additional information, such as full names, names of family members, home addresses, call signs, brief messages in numeric wire signal codes, advertisements for businesses, requests for QSL card trading, or names of citizens band radio or QSL clubs. All QSL cards are digitized as jpg scans.

The collection also includes ephemera of a Rhode Island CB radio patch and promotional QSL cards printed for the Rhode Island QSL Archive to advertise the collection when it was on display at AS220 in February 2023.

Dates

Majority of material found within 1930 - 1985

Conditions Governing Access

Materials are open to research.

Conditions Governing Use

PPL does not claim copyright to this collection. Users of this item are responsible for determining copyright restrictions.

Biographical / Historical

QSL ham radio cards are exchanged by amateur ham radio operators to confirm two-way radio contact between their radio stations. Typically, a QSL card conveys information about a station and its operator, and collects information from another radio station in return. This can include the contacted station’s call sign, confirmation of the time and date when contact happened, the radio frequency or band utilized for contact, the mode of transmission utilized, and a signal rating. As recommended by the International Amateur Radio Union, most QSL cards will measure a maximum size of 3.5 by 5.5 inches.