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Radio Postcards

Over the years, pictures of radio stations, especially broadcast band stations, have often adorned postcards. Such cards have also depicted various other radio themes. Although not QSLs, they can be interesting to the listener-collector.

International

  • Andorra - Four pictures of Radio Andorra.
  • Argentina - LT5, Radio Chaco, in Resistencia; and Radio El Mundo (this is a medicinal advertising card).
  • Belgium - Two views of Radio Ruysselede, a 1930s commercial station that was also used for shortwave broadcasting.
  • Canada - Here are postcard views and other items about various Canadian broadcasting stations. They are: from Alberta, CJCA, Edmonton; British Columbia, CJDC, Dawson Creek, and CNRV, Vancouver; New Brunswick, two cards from CBA, Sackville (including the shortwave antennas); Newfoundland, an "invitation to listen" card from VOAS, St. John's; Ontario, CKOC, Hamilton, CKCA, Kenora, CFLC, Prescott (actually a QSL from 1931, see reverse side of the card), CKTB, St. Catherines, and CFCL, Timmins; Quebec, CHGB. La Pocatiere, CBM, Marieville, and Maison de Radio Canada, Montreal; and from Saskatchewan, CBK, Watrous.
  • Cuba - The first two cards show views of PWX, owned by the Cuban Telephone Co. Founded in 1922, it was the first commercial broadcasting station in the country. The top card is actually an applause card, pre-printed with the station's address so that listeners could comment on the programs. The next three cards are views of the towers at the U.S. wireless station at Guantanamo Bay. (The first is postmarked 1911) Next, a view of the headquarters building of the big Cuban broadcast network, CMQ, and the last card is an advertising card promoting Bacardi rum and Cuban station CMKG-COKG (mediumwave-shortwave).
  • Denmark - Two pictures of the Kalundborg mediumwave and longwave facility.
  • Finland - An outside and an inside view of the Lahti station, and a picture of the radio shack located in the station's Radio and TV Museum.
  • Guinea - Three views of the Conakry commercial radio-telegraph station.
  • India - The All India Radio headquarters building in New Delhi (constructed in 1940).
  • Indonesia - Two views of the commercial station in Malabar (opened in 1923), and the station in Sabang.
  • International Waters - The M/V Peace, home of the Israeli station Voice of Peace, which in 1983-84 broadcast on 6240 kHz. from off the coast of Tel Aviv.
  • Italy - The Marconi station in Bari, and the radio tower in Caltanissetta, Sicily.
  • Japan - Here is another group of station postcards from Japan. These are: the Funabashi Telegraph Station; the Hamamatu Broadcasting Station; the Japan Wireless Telegraph Co. in Oyama; JOQG, the NHK Morioka Broadcasting Station; two cards from JQAK, Dairen, Manchuria; three views of the Tokyo Broadcasting Station; and the Yosami Transmitting Station.
  • Japan - Here are 10 mostly-oldie radio station postcard views from Japan. They are: JOAK, the Tokyo Broadcasting Station; JOCK, the Nagoya Central Broadcasting Station; JOHK, the Sendai Broadcasting Station; and a modern photo of the NHK building in Hiroshima.
  • Japan - Here is a group of postcard views, undated, of Japan Wireless Telegraph Company facilities. The company, a semi-official organization, was formed in 1925 to assume control over the government commercial (utility) radio stations. There are six cards: a map of the country's stations, views of the Kaizo and Fukuoka receiving stations, and views of the Yosami, Haranomachi and Tomioka transmitting stations.
  • Luxembourg - A series of postcard views of Radio Luxembourg, which was on shortwave until 1994 (it returned with DRM broadcasts in 2003).
  • Mozambique - Two views of Radio Clube de Mozambique, including the nearby public gardens.
  • Netherlands - Two views of the AVRO building in Hilversum (Algemene Vereniging Radio Omroep was the first Dutch public broadcaster); the NSF building in Hilversum (1931); some of the facilities of the Kootwijk high power utility station and the famous hotel and restaurant nearby; three views of the Philips plant in Eindhoven (1930s); the Huizen plant of early Dutch shortwave broadcaster PHOHI (Philips Omroep Holland-Indie,1933); and the famous PCJ rotating antennas.
  • Nigeria - Nigeria (Broadcasting House in Lagos (1955), and the "town signal station" at the Lagos marina.
  • Panama - Two exterior views of Radio Miramar, Panama City (HP5B on 6030 kHz. in the 1930s), and a card with several interior views.
  • Portugal - Two views of Radio Clube Portugues, Parede, which broadcast on 6080 kHz. in the 1940s and 1950s; and the Radio Free Europe antennas in Gloria (photo from around 1960).
  • Sarawak - Three views of the Radio Sarawak building in Kuching.
  • Senegal - multiple views of the radio-telegraph station in Dakar, and a view (last image) of Senegal IV in Ziguinchor.
  • Surinam - Radio Apintie, Paramaribo.
  • Sweden - Here is a file of postcards featuring photos of Swedish radio installations. Shown are the Grimeton station building, the Grimeton VLF antennas (both from Lennart Weirell of Vasteras, Sweden); the Hoerby mediumwave station (Lennart); and, two more views of Hoerby, 1933 and 1953 respectively; two views of the Motala longwave station (Lennart; the second is from 1944); three more views of the Motala facility, from 1932, 1937 and 1941; another (undated) view of, I believe, Motala; and a view of the station in Spanga.
  • Switzerland - The League of Nations station, Radio Nations, in Geneva; and the mediumwave antennas at Sottens.

United States

  • Alabama - WDNG, Anniston; WTBF, Troy; a photo of WJHO, Opelika; and an unidentified tower at Duncan Place in Mobile.
  • Arizona - Views of the KPHO TV antenna atop the Westward Ho Hotel in Phoenix, and an unknown station with antennas on the roof of a tall building in Phoenix.
  • Arkansas - KFPW, located in the Hotel Goldman, Fort Smith; the "radio receiving station" in the Hotel Mariana, Mariana; and an unidentified antenna array atop the AOUW ("Ancient Order of United Workmen") Building in Little Rock.
  • California - KECA (ABC), Hollywood; KFWB, Hollywood (two views); KFXM, California Hotel, San Bernardino; KGB, Hotel Pickwick, San Diego (two views; on the second one that's KFSD at the U.S. Grant Hotel further down the street); KGFH, Hotel Glendale, Glendale; KHJ (Mutual Don Lee Broadcasting System), Hollywood; KIST, Santa Barbara; KNX (CBS), Hollywood (three views); KPO-KGO (NBC), San Francisco; KPRO, Riverside and San Bernardino; and KUSC (Univ. of So. Calif.), Los Angeles.
  • California - Views of the 500-room U.S. Grant Hotel in San Diego, home of station KFSD
  • Colorado - Views of the home of KPOF, Denver, the "Alma Temple," named after Pillar of Fire founder Alma White, and the Hotel Shirley Savoy, Denver, home of KLZ (call letters on top front edge of building).
  • Florida - Here are postcards of WJNO, West Palm Beach; the tower of WJNO-FM, West Palm Beach; the municipal pier in St. Petersburg, home to WSUN; WDBO, located in the Hotel Fort Gatlin, Orlando (small sign above the blue car); The Fleetwood Hotel, Miami, home of WMBF; and a 1941 photo of the building and antenna of WIOD in Miami, known long ago as the "Wonderful Isle of Dreams" station.
  • Florida - WJAX, Jacksonville
  • Georgia - WSB, Atlanta
  • Georgia - WRBL, Columbus; three views of WTOC, Savannah; and an unidentified antenna atop the Shrine Mosque and Fox Theater, Atlanta.
  • Hawaii - Here is a file of postcards about "Hawaii Calls." The first one is a souvenir card from the program itself, with a penciled-in date of 1939, four years after the program started. The rest are views of the part of the Moana Hotel where the program was staged. At the end of the file are two postcard views of the transmission towers at a long ago Pearl Harbor.
  • Idaho - Here are two postcard views of KFXD, Nampa, Idaho, along with a photo of the KFXD transmitter site, with a postcard view inset.
  • Illinois - Postcard views of stations in Chicago, namely: five views of WGN; WGES; WJAZ; WMAQ; two views of WMBI, the Moody Bible Institute station--the studio in Chicago and the transmitter in Addison; the Heisen Building, with the antennas of the Federal Wireless Telegraph Co. on the roof; and two views of the Hotel Crillon, on the roof of which appears to be an elaborate antenna for the hotel's radio receiving system rather than a broadcast station antenna.
  • Illinois - More postcard views of Illinois stations, this time stations outside Chicago. The stations are: inside (1926) and outside views of WCBD, Zion; two views of WEBQ, which was located in a bank building in Harrisburg; the antenna of WJBC, on the roof of Hummer's Furniture Store, La Salle; WJBL, whose antenna was atop the Wm. Gushard Department Store in Decatur; WJPF, "the Voice of Egypt," in Herrin; a television station, WREX-TV, in Rockford; WOPA, located in the Oak Park Arms Hotel, Oak Park; and a 1918 view of the antenna towers of the U.S. Naval Station in Great Lakes.
  • Indiana - WSLM, Salem; WSBT, South Bend; the Electrical Engineering Building at Purdue University, Lafayette; two views of the U.S. Naval Armory, Indianapolis; and from Valparaiso, two postcards from Dodge's Telegraph and Radio Institute, as named on one card, and Dodge's Telegraph, Railway Accounting and Radio Institute, as named on the other.
  • Iowa - First is a file containing postcard views of these Iowa stations: (1) ABC affiliate KBUR in Burlington; (2) & (3) two postcards from KICD, Spencer, the second one displaying four inset views of the station in different years; (4) KTNT, Muscatine, postmarked in 1929; (5) WAAC, located in Hotel Savrey, Des Moines; (6) the tall, on-the-roof towers of WHO, Des Moines; and (7) WMT, Montrose Hotel, Cedar Rapids. Second, there is a file with two "invitation to listen" postcards, one from KRNT, Des Moines, inviting listeners to tune in to the "America's Town Meeting of the Air" program in 1945, the other from KXEL, Waterloo and Cedar Falls, inviting listeners to tune in to the "Victory Hour."
  • Iowa - Here are some postcard views of KFNF's competitor, KMA ("Keep Millions Advised"), also located in Shenandoah, Iowa, and also operated by a seed company, the Earl E. May Seed and Nursery Co. The station went on the air in 1925. It developed a considerable staff, and Earl May himself was the chief announcer (in 1926 he won a Radio Digest gold cup for "the world's most popular announcer"). KMA's auditorium (known as "Mayfair") seated 1,000 people. Those who are musically inclined will find at the end of the postcards the words and music to a KMA song, "Mayfair," taken from a station promotional booklet issued circa 1928. At that time KMA operated on 760 kc. with 1,000 watts (later 960 with 5,000 watts).
  • Iowa - Views of station KFNF, Shenandoah, Iowa, one of the most famous American farm stations. Owned by the Henry Field Seed Co., "The Friendly Farmer Station" came on the air on February 18, 1924 and went full time four years later. The frequency was 1130 kc., 500 watts. President and General Manager Henry Field was also the chief announcer, and in the early days the employees of the seed company did double duty on air. The station was sold in 1949 but maintained its farm identity until it was sold to a religious organization in 1976. A KFNF poem went as follows: "Guest you are welcome here, Be at your ease; / Look around when you're ready, Go wherever you please / Happy to tell you about, Such as we've got, / From fish in the pool, To flowers in the lot, / You don't have to thank us, Nor laugh at our jokes, / Be cheerful, come often, You're one of the folks!"
  • Iowa - Views of station WOC, Davenport, Iowa, which began life as the station of the Palmer School of Chiropractic. Note that views #4 and #5 are the same except that the cars were deleted in #5.
  • Kentucky - The Courier-Journal/Louisville Times Building that was home to WHAS, Louisville.
  • Kentucky - WAVE, "The Brown Hotel," Louisville; WLBJ, Bowling Green; WLSI, Pikeville; WOMI, Owensboro; WSFC, Somerset; WVJS, Owensboro; and a street scene of Hopkinsville showing the location of WKOA.
  • Louisiana - WSMB, New Orleans and KTKC, Springhill.
  • Massachusetts - The building and antennas of the Cruft Electrical Laboratory, Harvard University; the Hotel Bradford, Boston, home of WBZ, and the WBZ transmitting facility in Millis; WMAF, South Dartmouth (for more on WMAF, search "WMAF" in the "DX History" section); WOCB headquarters in West Yarmouth, Cape Cod, and the WOCB transmitter plant as seen from afar.
  • Michigan – WEMC, Berrien Springs (predecessor call letters KFGZ equipment at top); WKMI, Kalamazoo; WKZO, Kalamazoo (sign at upper left); and WMPC, Lapeer.
  • Michigan - Ten postcards showing stations in Detroit, Michigan. These cards are: four views of the Maccabees Building, home to WXYZ; a view of the Schools Center Building (formerly the Maccabees Building), which became the home to NPR FM station WDET; four views of the facilities of WWJ, three showing the Detroit News Building in which the station once resided and one depicting a WWJ announcer's station as it must have looked circa 1920; and a view of the Hotel Book-Cadillac, which was once home to WCX, predecessor to WJR (notice the antenna on the roof).
  • Michigan - WDBC, Escanaba; WFDF, Flint (two views); WHFB, between Benton Harbor and Saint Joseph; WIKB, Iron Mountain; WJIM, Lansing; WJRT-TV, Flint; WKZO, Kalamazoo (two views); WOOD, Grand Rapids; and WTCM, Traverse City.
  • Minnesota - KSTP, Minneapolis-St. Paul (1963); WCCO, Minneapolis; WCCO, Anoka; and WRHM, Minneapolis.
  • Missouri - Two views of KMBC, located in the Pickwick Hotel, Kansas City, where the station occupied the entire 11th floor and guests could watch broadcasting in operation; Mutual Broadcasting System station KWOC, Poplar Bluffs; a postcard drawing of KSGM, St. Genevieve; two views of Lutheran station KFUO, Concordia Seminary, St. Louis; day and night views of KMOX, St. Louis; KFVE, Hotel Chase, St. Louis; KGBX, Springfield; and two TV towers, KFVS-TV, Cape Girardeau, 1,675 feet tall, and KCMO-TV, Kansas City, 1,042 feet tall (and lighted nightly by 1,360 25-watt bulbs).
  • Nebraska - KFKX, Hastings (shortwave from 1923 to 1927); KGNF, North Platte; KHOL TV, Kearney; four views of KMMJ, Grand Island; WOAW, Omaha; WOW TV, Omaha; and three views of WOW, Omaha (WOAW until 1926).
  • New Jersey - A postcard (front and back) from "Pillar of Fire" station WAWZ, Zarepath; a folder with four views of municipal station WPG, whose studios were on the Steel Pier in Atlantic City; WKDN, Camden; WSNJ, Bridgeton; WFME, an FMer in Newark; and the RCA commercial (utility) station in Tuckerton (card postmarked 1920).
  • New Mexico - KOB, State College; and KSVP, Artesia, "home of New Mexico's first announcer school," the School of Broadcast Training.
  • New York - We previously posted two postcard views of the huge RCA shortwave transmitting facility known as Radio Central and located at Rocky Point, Long Island, New York. Here are six additional views of Radio Central (including the aforementioned two). The first three cards are postmarked 1929, 1932 and 1942 respectively. In addition, we have posted a postcard foldout which contains a view of Radio Central, and information about the New York RCA operation in 1945. Finally, we have a postcard view of the Radio Central receiving buildings, which were located in Riverhead, at the far eastern tip of Long Island. Radio Central was inaugurated in 1921, before the long-distance properties of shortwave were fully appreciated. RCA started major experiments with shortwave in 1923. Judging by the car shown in the Riverhead postcard, that view is likely from around 1930. Many programs and news reports from overseas came by way of shortwave to Radio Central.
  • North Carolina - WAIR, Winston-Salem; WHKY, Hickory; WMIT, Mitchell; WPTF, Raleigh (two views); WWNC, Asheville (two views); and the U.S. Wireless Station in Beaufort (two views).
  • Ohio - Here are two files of views of radio stations in Ohio. The first file contains: three views of WKRC, Hotel Alms, Cincinnati; two views of the Crosley Radio Corp. building, Cincinnati (WLW, WSAI, W8XAL; WLW-WSAI (Crosley), Mason; WLW (Crosley), Mason (1938); a "Little Jack Little" program thank you card from WLW (1929); WHBC, Canton; and two views of WADC, Akron. In the second file you will find: KYW, Cleveland; WJEH, Gallipolis; two views of WMRN; Marion; WFMJ, Youngstown, and a photo of the WSPD (Toledo) remote "shortwave" broadcasting car.
  • Oklahoma - WKY, Oklahoma City; KVSO, Ardmore; and a "plane catching antenna" at the Muskogee Municipal Airport.
  • Oregon - The sign for KOIN atop a building in Portland; KSLM, East Salem (sign at  far right); and the shack and antenna of the United Wireless Telegraph Station in Roseburg.
  • Pennsylvania - Here are two files of postcards from radio stations in Pennsylvania. The first file covers KDKA, with three views of the early KDKA broadcasting studios; a card showing the interior and the exterior of the early transmitting station in East Pittsburgh (c. 1929); three views of the Grant Building, later home of KDKA (notice small roof-top tower); a card showing the KDKA Little Symphony Orchestra; an acknowledgement card depicting the Westinghouse Electric Radio Band (1928); a card showing Dilworth's Little German Band, as heard over KDKA; Clark's Teaberry Gum Entertainers, also heard over KDKA; and an acknowledgement card from KDKA (1924). The second file contains views of WCAU: Hotel Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, home of WCAU starting in 1924; and two views of the WCAU transmitting station circa 1930, Newtown Square (housing both BCB and W3XAU shortwave).
  • Pennsylvania - Here is another file containing radio postcards from Pennsylvania. The cards show: the Father Murgas Wireless Telegraph Station, Wilkes Barre (1910) (Fr. Jozef Murgas was an early experimenter in spark transmission); Penn State Wireless Tower, State College (1913), site of of an early experimental station; KYW, Philadelphia; Penn-Harris Hotel, Harrisburg, home of WKBO; WDAR in the Lit Brothers building, Philadelphia; WFBG FM, Altoona; Penn Albert Hotel, Greensburg, home of WHJB; WHLM, Bloomsburg; WIIC TV, Pittsburgh; WJAC, Johnstown; two views of WKOK, Ft. Augusta, Sunbury; WPEL, Montrose; WPHB, Philipsburg; and WQAN, Scranton.
  • Rhode Island - Two views of the Providence Biltmore, with antenna towers on the roof (believed to be WFCI); and WJAR (call letters on rooftop tower at upper right).
  • South Dakota - A group of postcards from Gurney Seed and Nursery Co. station WNAX in Yankton, South Dakota (Gurney bought the station in 1926). They are: an oldie view of the station; five views of a different site, two naming the WNAX antenna tower as the tallest in America (a third says "the world"); and a group of seven postcards showing various views of the station at its early location.
  • Tennessee - WDOD, Hotel Patten, Chatanooga, depicted on a card with two other J. B. Pound hotels; a standalone view of WDOD and the hotel; a nearly identical view of the Hotel Patten, this time promoting its tenant WAGC, which moved in some years after WDOD left; WHBQ, Memphis (look for the small sign over the Hotel Chisca marquee); WJJM, Lewisburg; WSM, Nashville, an early view of the National Life & Accident Insurance Co. station; a later view of WSM; and WTJS, Jackson.
  • Utah - Street scene outside KSL, Salt Lake City.
  • Washington - The cards depict KUJ, at the Marcus Whitman Hotel, Walla Walla; end-of-the-pier station KGY, Olympia; and from Spokane, KHQ, and the KXLY radio and TV building.
  • Washington, D.C. - The Hotel Annapolis ("Rates $3.00 to $6.00"), home of WOL; and NBC station WRC, "the first plant in the United States designed from the ground up for live, local color television broadcasting."
  • West Virginia - Here are two cards: one showing the WWVA transmitter plant in St. Clairsville, Ohio; and a picture of the Parkersburg High School with a very nice-looking antenna on the roof.