LITERATURE & HUMOR

Dutch-language Postcards - Here are some Dutch-language postcards. A couple are New Years cards, and while we don’t know the exact meaning of the texts--translation, someone?--the overall message seems pretty clear: DX makes the heart grow fonder!

Humorous Postcards-I - Radio often tickled the funny bone in its early days. Here are some postcards that make the point.

Humorous Postcards-II - Radio and humor were a frequent combination in radio's early days. Here is a file of humorous radio-related postcards. The first three were used by radio repairmen, presumably to inform customers of their services, and were printed by National Union Radio Tubes.

Humorous Postcards-III - Here is another group of humorous radio-related postcards from radio's early days.

Humorous Postcards-IV - Here is another group of humorous radio-related postcards from radio's early days.

Humorous Postcards-V - Here is another group of humorous radio-related postcards.

Humorous Postcards-VI - Here is another group of humorous radio-related postcards that should give you a chuckle.

"A Short-Wave Journey of Discovery" - Born in Holland but educated mainly in the United States, Hendrik van Loon was a man of many arts--author, journalist, lecturer, raconteur and, as The New York Times put it, "indefatigable interpreter of human accomplishments." The title of his 1921 best seller, "The Story of Mankind" (1921), exemplified his larger-than-life personal and professional persona. As one reviewer observed, in van Loon's writings on history you were certain of getting "plenty of history and plenty of van Loon." He had sold some 6 million copies of his many books by the time he died in 1944, at which time he was at work on his autobiography, which he titled "A Report to St. Peter." Van Loon knew something about shortwave. He organized the "Uncle Hank" wartime broadcasts to occupied Holland over WRUL Before that, he was the author of an article, "A Short-Wave Journey of Discovery," published by RCA in 1937 in a promotional booklet of the same name which we have posted here. In it van Loon opines on his discoveries and experiences with regard to the inventions of modern communication (he was born in 1882), including broadcasting, and on the role shortwave would likely play in the future. Also contributing to the publication was Laurence M. Cockaday, a prolific radio author of the 1920s and 30s, whose entries are much more oriented toward DX ("A Guide to Short-Wave Listening" and "How to Tune In Foreign Stations"). This booklet is one of the nicest pieces of "company" shortwave literature I have seen.

"Your First Wireless Set" - From Britain's Punch magazine circa 1940.

Charlie Loudenboomer - Some of today's DXers may have heard of Charlie Loudenboomer, whose attempts at hobby humor appeared in the NASWA bulletin, "FRENDX," from January 1966 to January 1977. But how many have actually read them? Here are some early examples taken from "The Best of Loudenboomer, the Collected Works of Charlie Loudenboomer, Vol. 1," published circa 1973.

"The DX Editors' Lexicon" - Two pages of tounge-in-cheek DX definitions taken from Bandspread, the publication of the British Association of DXers. Bandspread was published from 1970 to 1974 by Alan Thompson, an early leader of the World DX Club and former Secretary General of the European DX Council. Thompson's intensity for the hobby and his wry sense of humor show through in these definitions.

Here are two articles from the early days of broadcast band listening: "A First Night With a First Set," a December 1924 story from Radio News about a set constructor's experiences (with a surprise ending); and a March 1928 Radio News article, "Wisdom for Radio Widows," "A straight-from-the-shoulder talk to the woman whose husband belongs to the Order of the Sleepless Knights of DX."

La Rayotelefonia - A poem in Spanish that appeared in the 1922 radio publication "Radio Revista" - from Horacio Nigro, Uruguay, and translated into English by Horacio Nigro and Don Moore, Iowa.

PEOPLE

"Radio Scrapbook" - Do people still make scrapbooks? They did in the twenties and thirties. This one is 7" tall by 11-1/2" wide, with the contents pasted in place, and a plastic pocket on the front holding a couple of miscellaneous items. The name "Ethel Markwell" is neatly penned at the bottom of the first inside page, and a small clipping on the page shows a picture of Miss Ethel Markwell and a note to the effect that it was she who greeted visitors at KMMJ, Clay Center, Nebraska. Did this scrapbook belong to Ethel? One thing is for sure: the owner was a fan of KMMJ, and also KMA and KFNF, both in Shenandoah, Iowa, for the contents are almost entirely news clippings about the stations and their personalities, and photos and postcard views of the stations. It's a nice look back at early radio (and scrapbooking).

"Having Fun With Your Radio" was written by the late Henrik Klemetz in 2017, and recently posted by Tetsuya Hirahara at his "Radio Nuevo Mundo" website. Henrik did excellent DX work when he was living in Colombia in the 1990s, and is well remembered for the assistance he provided to individual DXers in identifying stations, and for the light he shed on many aspects of Latin American DXing. In this article, Henrik describes the good luck he had in communicating with stations, in particular by including in his written report a request for a particular song to be played at a given time when he would be listening. He has some great stories to tell.

Miss F. V. Wallace - This Australian card caught my eye mainly because of the novelty of an early radio shop run by a woman. But I found that the card (which is actually a blotter) has some real historical significance, for Miss F. V. Wallace, later known as Mrs. Mac (she married Cecil Roland McKenzie), was a pioneer in technical education for women in Australia. Among her many accomplishments: she was the first Australian female amateur operator (1922); one of the founders of Wireless Weekly (1922); first Australian female Electrical Engineer (1923); and pioneer in wartime signal instruction through the founding of the Women's Emergency Signalling Corps (WESC) in Sydney in 1939, which led to the founding of the Women's Royal Australian Naval Service (WRANS) in 1941. There is an excellent 55-min. recording about Mrs. Mac online. "Signals, Currents, and Wires: the Untold Story of Florence Violet McKenzie" is a 2008 episode of "Hindsight," a program of Australia's National Radio (NR) It first covers the World War II period, then (at 24 mins. in) shifts to earlier history. Miss Wallace attended SydneyTechnical College for 6 yrs., and started her own electrical business, The Wireless Shop, which became Sydney headquarters for all things radio. She also started her own electrical school, the Electrical Association for Women. Give yourself a treat and listen to this program. As to the card's vintage, the call letters belong to stations of the early Australian coastal stations, most of which were established in the years 1912-1914. The NR program indicates that Wallace became an Electrical Engineer in 1923, and since the EE credential is shown on the card, it must date back to that time or later. There is more online about Mrs. Mac--Google "Florence Violet McKenzie Australia radio."

"Remembering Bob Hill" - The DX world has lost one of its most able sons, Bob Hill, who passed away on February 27, 2017. "Remembering Bob Hill" is a review of Bob's DX career with messages from many of his friends. (Readers should feel free to repost this remembrance on their own sites if they wish.) R.I.P., Bobbus.

George Cox - If you were DXing in the 1950s and 1960s, you probably remember the name of well-respected Wilmington, Delaware DXer George R. Cox. Here are two items from Popular Electronics of that era: an article about George, and an article by George about tropical band DXing.

National Radio Club "Reminiscences" - The National Radio Club is the oldest and largest medium wave DX club, founded in 1933 (and still operating today). In the Jan. 4, 1941 NRC "DX News," publisher Ray Edge asked the veteran members to relive some of their past listening experiences for a special series of articles. Here is a file with reminiscing from Al Bartholomew, Bob Botzum, Joe Becker, Joe Brauner, Leo Herz, and Pat Reilley. These  reminiscences appeared only in the January-June 1941 NRC bulletins.

Tom Williamson - While looking through copies of Short Wave News we found a very nice writeup about an old friend, the late Tom Williamson of Canada. It was published in February 1950. You can find Tom's DX biography, "Across Time--and Space," and his ODXA "Looking Back" columns, under "Specialized Resources."

"The World At A Twirl" - Ken Boord was the best-known American DX editor during the years 1944-1955 when he wrote the "International Short-Wave" column for Radio News (and briefly for Popular Electronics). He reappeared in 1960 as shortwave editor for the new DXing Horizons magazine. Between those two jobs Ken published a valuable primer on shortwave broadcast listening. It was called The World At A Twirl, a phrase that identified the Boord "brand" in those days (and was commonly abbreviated WT). WT was 126 pages long and labeled "First Edition, Summer 1956," although no subsequent editions are known to have been published. It was a compendium of all sorts of valuable information. Part I featured station profiles, photos of stations, DXers, QSLs and SWL cards, information on DXing techniques, clubs, and radio personalities, and reports on Boord visits to other DXers. Part II consisted of extensive lists of shortwave stations big and small. In Part III were more photos, plus "Press-Time Flashes." The book is a very thorough presentation of the SWLing of the day as seen through the eyes of one of its greatest promoters.

Ken Boord - Ken Boord was probably the most prolific American DX editor from the mid-1940s until around 1961. He had extensive contacts within the shortwave world, both in the U.S. and internationally, and these yielded voluminous DX information. After his stint with Radio News (above) he stayed in touch with his sources, ran his own "Flash Sheet" newsletter (see "Specialized Resources/DX Newsletters"), and shared his news with other DX editors on an ongoing basis. An example of the latter is an airletter he sent out in July 1956 containing extensive DX news. It is typical of the Ken Boord style.

Earl R. Roberts - Thanks to Bob Ballantine, W8SU, who has sent us this interesting bio of Earl R. Roberts, a well-known BCB DXer of the 1930s who moved on to shortwave, serving as NNRC shortwave editor from 1935 to 1942, and amateur section editor from 1946 to 1950.

LeRoy Waite - If you were DXing in the 1950s-60s, you were probably a member of the Newark News Radio Club, and you will probably recall the name of LeRoy Waite of Ballston Spa, New York. Roy was the amateur section editor from 1952 to 1969, although he did some SWBC DXing as well. Here is a small tribute to Roy.

DXing Horizons "Shortwave Profiles" - "DXing Horizons" was a short-lived but very nice DX magazine that was published from January 1960 to April 1961. Nearly half the magazine was devoted to shortwave, with other forms of DX taking up the rest. The shortwave editor was Ken Boord, probably the best known DX editor of the time. This was Ken's final appearance as a DX editor. Among the "DXH" features was the "Shortwave Profile" where Ken highlighted particular DXers. John Herkimer has gone through DXH and extracted these profiles, and we have posted the first group. Included this time are profiles of August Balbi, Anson Boice, Floyd Backus, George Cox, Arthur Cushen, and Jerry Berg.

More DXing Horizons "Shortwave Profiles" - Here is another group of "Shortwave Profiles" from "DXing Horizons." This group includes John and Marjorie Gibson, Al Niblack, Sidney Pearce, Sam Rowell, Ab Saylor, and Paul Silver.

Hank Bennett's First NNRC Column - All American SWBC DXers who entered the hobby in the 1950s and 1960s know the name Hank Bennett. Hank was shortwave editor for the Newark News Radio Club for decades, right up until the club closed in 1982. He became interested in shortwave listening in 1938, and obtained his ham license eight years later. His name started appearing as a bulletin contributor in 1945, at which time he was in the Seventh Army's Signal Corps in Europe. Here is Hank's first column for the NNRC Bulletin. It appeared in the December 1949 issue, when he took over from Jimmy Hart, who had edited the column since 1943. Bennett also served as Popular Electronics shortwave editor from 1955 to 1970. In 1970-71 he edited a SWBC column for the short-lived Radio Today magazine, and he wrote a column in Monitoring Times from 1983 to 1986.

"The Way We Were in NASWA" - Before March 1972, when Dan Ferguson took the club to offset booklet-style printing, the North American Shortwave Assn. (NASWA) bulletin was mimeographed. For a couple of years starting in 1970, "FRENDX" would sometimes contain picture pages featuring photos of members. Here are some of the picture pages from 1970-71, including the brief writeups which accompanied the photos. Here are some of the picture pages from 1971-72. And more of "The Boys of NASWA," these picture pages are from 1972. And, finally, these picture pages are from 1973.

Cesar Objio - Here is a photo of the well-known DXer from the Dominican Republic who passed away on September 3, 2004 at the age of 76. Cesar was well-known and highly regarded by DXers the world over. Thanks to his daughter, Ana Objio, for sending this picture.

August Balbi's Logbook - Here is legendary California DXer August Balbi's logbook for 1936. He kept his records in this book marked on the front, "World Short Wave Radio." The inside front and back covers are decorated with various cutouts, including two from the covers of Short Wave Craft magazine of the day. The pages reveal August to have been a meticulous record keeper. His daily log shows the stations that he heard, and that he returned to often to make notes of reception quality which could then be compared over time. He also kept a list of new stations heard. As August's penmanship suggests, computers were not even a twinkle in this DXer's eye.

Newark News Radio Club - In 1937, the NNRC published a series of 3" x 5" photo cards containing a photo of the member on the front, and something about the member and his or her hobby interests on the back. Jerry Berg has almost 50 of these cards and they are posted here.

"Where Are They Now"? Harold Sellers of Ontario, Canada, sends along photos of some Canadian DXers taken from the January 1965 issue of "electron" magazine.

Bob Hill Log Reports - Here are some of the log reports of Littleton, Mass. DXer Bob Hill that date from 1965-66. This was the period when Bob was listening first from Boston, then from Washington, D.C. Thanks to Bob for permission to post these. (Bob Hill passed away in 2017.)

PHILATELY

ASCENSION IS. BBC Atlantic Relay Station on Ascension Island - The BBC Atlantic Relay Station on Ascension Island went into service in 1966 and is still in operation. It has been the subject of a number of special postal issues. We have already posted several, specifically 1966 (opening of the station), and 1991, 1996 and 1982 (1991, 25th anniversary of the station; 1996, 30th anniversary; 1982, 50th anniversary of BBC external broadcasting). Now there is a new set of six Ascension relay station stamps, issued on July 3, 2016, the station's 50th anniversary. Here is a PDF containing the new stamps, the official first-day cover, a brochure accompanying the cover, describing the scenes on the stamps and providing some interesting history, and the mailing envelope for the package, which is a nice postal item in itself.

AUSTRALIA. "Golden Days of Radio" - four Australian stamps issued on June 13, 1991.

AUSTRALIA. Australia First Day Covers - Here are some first day covers from Australia. These are: (1) a cover celebrating the 50th anniversary of regular radio broadcasting, 1923-1973; (2) a FDC recognizing the 50th anniversary of the Australian Broadcasting Commission, 1932-1982, and also containing a stamp and cancellation for the 50th anniversary of Radio Australia, 1939-1989; (3), (4), (5) and (6) two maxi-cards, front and back, again for the 50th anniversary of the ABC; and (7) a FDC honoring the 50th anniversary of Radio Australia.

AUSTRALIA. "Australian Inland Mission and Radio" - Learn about pedal radio in this article by Jerry Berg.

CANADA. Canadian Covers - Here are eight radio-related postal covers from Canada. The first five were issued in connection with the 1971 "RCI Speaking to the World" stamp commemorating RCI's installation of new high power transmitters in Sackville, New Brunswick (the fourth cover has an explanatory insert). The sixth cover features the CBC "exploding pizza" stamp issued in 1986 (the reverse of the cover explains this well-known CBC symbol). The seventh cover is also from 1986, and features an overprint memorializing the 1986 ANARC Convention in Montreal. The final cover memorializes the first Seventh Day Adventist Church World Session held in Canada (2000), and includes an Adventist World Radio-Toronto imprint on the front. Two other Canadian covers were posted in this "Philately" section in the past, one from 1971, the other from 1986.

CANADA. Marconi & Fleming First Day Covers - Here are two recently released covers from Canada.

CANADA. Edward S. ("Ted") Rogers, Canadian 3BP, the inventor of the first American tube with an AC-operated filament that produced an acceptable low level of hum (1924-25) was recently honored on a stamp issued by the Canadian post office.

COMOROS. Comoros - The opening of the station in Dzaoudzi in 1960 was commemorated by the issuance of two good-looking postage stamps. We have posted these stamps, together with two first-day covers celebrating the event. As you can see, one of the stamps shows the station's shortwave frequencies. Also in this file is another cover, from 1972, celebrating the establishment of radiotelegraph service between Moroni and Paris.

CUBA. Cuban Radio Covers - Here are some interesting first day covers memorializing various aspects of Cuban radio.

CUBA. More Cuban First Day Covers - We have posted some Cuban first day covers before. Here is another group: two covers commemorating Servicio de Radiodifusion Internacional (1962, the year following the inauguration of Cuba's 100 kw. shortwave transmitting plant); one recognizing Radio Habana Cuba's 40th Anniversary (2001); and three covers acknowledging the 40th (1998), 45th (2003) and 50th (2008) anniversaries of Radio Rebelde.

DENMARK. Danish Radio History - This file contains several items relating to Danish radio history: four first day covers displaying a stamp commemorating the 25th anniversary of Danish state radio, April 1, 1950; the same stamp on a postcard view of the Kalundborg Radio towers, postmarked 1951; and a 1975 first day cover displaying a stamp commemorating the 50th anniversary of Danmarks Radio (Danish state radio).

DENMARK. "Stamps from the Danish Radio Help Fund" - Here is a sheet of interesting, radio-related “cinderella” (non-postage) stamps from Denmark. Anker Petersen tells us what they are. Thanks, Anker.

DENMARK. "Det Rullende Postkontor" - If you were DXing during the days of postal mail, you were used to going to the post office and showing off your knowledge of postal arcana (rates to obscure countries, the finer points of packing a tape for registered mailing, etc.). But if you lived in Denmark, at the right time, the post office might have come to you. See the postcard drawings of "Det Rullende Postkontor" (rolling post office). The three views of the outside of the van are from 1938, 1939 and 1952 respectively; the fourth card is a drawing of the interior, from 1937. (In the cancellation mark, the numbers after the date ["9-18," "11-17," etc.] are the hours when the van was open.) It looks like the mobile post office could handle postal mail, telegraph and telephone.

ECUADOR. More First Day Covers- More stamps, these from 1991, celebrating the 50th anniversary of Radio Quito, a longtime presence on 4919 kHz. Also, a first day cover with the same stamps, along with an explanatory folder; plus a first day cover and explanatory card for three stamps issued in 1980 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of HCJB.

EGYPT. Here is a first day cover from the International Telecommunications Conference of 1938 held in Cairo, Egypt.

FRANCE. Eugene Ducretet is not one of the usual names of the “founders of radio,” but he was an important early French engineer whose experiments included the first wireless transmission in France. Here is a group of postal covers bearing a 1973 French stamp celebrating the 75th anniversary of his well-publicized transmission between the Eiffel Tower and the Pantheon in 1898.

FRANCE. Charles de Gaulle's June 18, 1940 Broadcast - I - France capitulated to the Nazis on June 17, 1940, and the next day, on the BBC, a little-known General Charles de Gaulle, who had fled to England a few days earlier, made his famous appeal to his countrymen to fight on. France has issued many stamps honoring General de Gaulle, and a variety of covers and cards have recognized the June 18 broadcast. Here is a file containing some of these.

FRANCE. Charles de Gaulle's June 18, 1940 Broadcast - II - We have already posted one group of postal covers commemorating Charles de Gaulle's famous June 18, 1940 appeal to Frenchmen to fight against the Nazis. It was broadcast over the BBC. Here is another group of these commemorative covers. The last one in the file contains the text of the appeal (in French).

GABON. Gabon - Here is a file with several first day covers from Gabon. The first cover, from 1984, commemorates the third anniversary of the start of regular transmissions from Africa No. One (which had begun testing in 1979). Below the cover is a link to an excellent history on the Moyabi station, written and recently updated by Tony Rogers for the British DX Club. Also in the file are three other radio-related first day covers issued from Gabon in 1964, 1971 and 1973.

INDIA. All India Radio - Here are some items from All India Radio, which began broadcasting in 1936: a first day cover issued on June 8, 1961 in commemoration of AIR's 25th anniversary, an informative pamphlet issued by AIR in connection with the event, and a postcard of the AIR building constructed in New Delhi in 1940. The postcard was sent from Colombo, Ceylon to New York in 1954.

ISRAEL. Israel First Day Covers

JAPAN. Radio Japan 25th Anniversary First Day Covers - We have previously posted some first day covers honoring Radio Japan. Here are seven more commemorating the station's 25th Anniversary. The stamp was issued on June 1, 1960.

JAPAN. Japan First Day Covers - Here is another group of radio-related first-day covers from Japan (inserts follow the covers that contained them).

MEXICO. 50 Years of Mexican Broadcasting - DXer Tetsuya Hirahara of Japan has sent along two first day covers, a postal card, and an explanation (in Spanish) from 1971 when Mexico commemorated 50 years of broadcasting.

MONACO. Radio Monte Carlo - A 1951 first day cover recognizing Radio Monte Carlo, Monaco.

NETHERLANDS. Radio Oranje - The governments in exile of a number of European countries were headquartered in London, and were allotted time on the BBC to address their peoples in their own languages. Six weeks after the de Gaulle broadcast, the Dutch created "Radio Oranje," a daily 20-minute BBC program which became an important point of contact with the people of occupied Holland. In 1993 the Netherlands issued two postage stamps commemorating Radio Oranje. Here is a file containing a number of covers and cards bearing these Radio Oranje stamps. The first two items in the file we had posted earlier by themselves. The first is a letter issued by Radio Netherlands at the time the stamps were issued. The letter, which is on a reprint of the original Radio Oranje letterhead, contains more information about the station. The second item in the file is a first day cover which bears the Radio Oranje stamps and also a "Radio-Oranje" stamping that was made with a rubber stamp that was used by the station when it operated from London.

NEW ZEALAND. "Painting the Clouds With Sunshine" - On November 4, 1992, New Zealand Post issued a set of six 1920s-motif postage stamps under the title "Painting the Clouds With Sunshine." They depicted various scenes from the "good days" between the wars, highlighting planes, cars, rugby, etc. One of the stamps acknowledged the arrival of radio and Dr. Robert Jack, a pioneer of New Zealand commercial radio broadcasting. Most of the 1992 first day covers for the set contained all six stamps. However, the New Zealand Radio DX League issued a separate, similar cover, featuring only the radio stamp and adding the words, "Celebrating the Golden Age of Radio in New Zealand." The file contains the NZRDXL cover, with a descriptive insert, plus the regular six-stamp cover. Proceeds from the sale of the NZRDXL cover went to the club's Handicapped Aid Program.

PHILIPPINES. DZRH Philippines - Here is a recent Philippine first-day cover commemorating 75 years of DZRH news.

PITCAIRN IS. Pitcairn Island - The story of radio and Pitcairn Island has many interesting chapters, mostly on the ham bands, and there are a number of philatelic items to commemorate events. Probably the best-remembered Pitcairn radio event In the (relatively) modern era was the QST-sponsored effort to provide a modern ham station to replace the primitive, battery-powered spark setup that had been discovered on the island by a visiting ham in 1937. The new station was delivered to Pitcairn by several hams, and went on the air in March 1938 as VR6AY. Numerous contacts followed, and the station's distinctive QSL, which we have now posted in "The CPRV Gallery" ("Amateur Radio"), was much sought after. The entire event was memorialized in a postal cover picturing a Pitcairn building (the "shack"?) and denominating the station "PITC." This file shows one of these covers (Pitcairn used New Zealand postage), together with two more interesting pieces of Pitcairn philately: a set of four stamps recognizing several aspects of Pitcairn radio (the original VR6AY operation; the Pitcairn Amateur Radio Operators Club, VR6PAC; and VR6IM making medical contacts); and another set of four stamps, issued in 1995, on the occasion of Marconi's 100th anniversary. Finally, a first-day cover and accompanying pamphlet issued in 2014 by the Pitcairn Philatelic Bureau on the 75th anniversary of Admiral Richard E. Byrd's visit to Pitcairn in December 1939. This was Byrd's third Antarctic Expedition, and there was much radio activity connected with it, as there was during the 1933-35 expedition, which was the first that featured voice radio contacts (the 1928 expedition was code only).

U.K. Trevor Baylis - Here are two postal covers from England featuring Trevor Baylis, inventor of the BayGen Freeplay wind-up radio. One, dated 1999, features a picture of Baylis with a couple of his radios, and his signature. The other is a "commemorative coin" cover, issued and postmarked in 2001 on the centenary of Marconi's historic transatlantic transmission. The Marconi story is told on the back. The cover also bears Canadian postage and postmark, plus a two pound British coin, and Baylis's signature, and an insert about him. On the Freeplay, here is a summary of the receiver from the 1997 Passport to World Band Radio (reproduced with permission). For Larry Magne's full review of the receiver, see the October 1996 issue of Monitoring Times (pg. 94) at AmericanRadioHistory.com. And for still more, search for "BayGen" in the Media Network Vintage Vault.

U.K. British Postal Covers - Here are five nice looking British postal covers that are radio-related. They are: (1) a 1992 BBC cover celebrating 70 Years of Broadcasting and 60 Years of Broadcasting House, London (photos are identified on the back); (2) a cover issued on the 60th anniversary of the start of World War II in 1939 ("The country is at war"--Chamberlain), with explanatory insert; (3) a Radio Times "50th Anniversary of Victory in Europe" cover, with insert; (4) a cover, also with insert, commemorating the 75th anniversary of Portishead Radio (1920-1995), the country's famed radiotelephony station; and (5) a cover produced for the RSGB as part of the Marconi Centenary Celebration in 1995 (photo explanations on back).

UNITED NATIONS. U.N. Radio - It has been a long time since United Nations Radio has had a regular presence on shortwave. However, it still produces programs, which it posts on line and which are rebroadcast by various stations around the world. On World Radio Day, February 13, 2013, the U.N. issued a series of six postage stamps commemorating U.N. Radio. Here is a file showing the first day covers, together with information about the stamps from the U.N. philatelic bulletin. U.N. stamps denominated in U.S., Swiss and Euro funds are valid postage for mailings from the U.N. facilities in New York, Geneva and Vienna respectively.

U.S. Voice of America - On August 1, 1967, the U.S. Post Office issued a five-cent Voice of America stamp, and here are some of the covers that were available at the time.

VATICAN.  First Day Covers – A huge number of covers have been issued for Vatican stamps. This file contains many examples.

MIXES. Stamp Page-I - This is the first of a number of pages we plan to post containing individual, radio-related stamps, mixing both postage stamps and cinderellas (non-postage stamps), and occasionally some other items, laid out in no particular order. This file contains postage stamps from Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Ecuador, Brazil, France, Afars & Issas (Djibouti), Macedonia, Guyana, Ireland, Liberia, Cuba, Paraguay, and the Bahamas [the letters in the top row of the Bahamas stamp should be CQD, not CDQ!]; and cinderellas from Italy (International Radio Medical Centre), the U.S. (WHAS, Louisville, KY, and National Radio Week [year unspecified]), Spain (Zenith Trans-Oceanic), and Czechoslovakia (Radio Prague).

MIXES. Stamp Page-II - Here is another display of radio-related postage stamps from the Seychelles, Germany (World War II [but those may not be radio towers]), Paraguay, Azerbaijan, Canada, Netherlands Antilles, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Gabon, Italy, Egypt, Brazil, Pitcairn Islands, and Greece; cinderellas (non-postage stamps) from Switzerland (Tobler, Marconi); France (Marconi); U.S. (RCA Radiograms; RCA World’s Fair building, 1939; Voice of Prophecy; Camden "Radio Center of the World," 1930); Brazil (Radio Brasil Central); Australia (New Zealand ship Awatea, ZMBJ broadcasts, late 1930s); and Spain (Exposicion Nacional de Radio, Barcelona, 1931); plus a metal VOA bookmark.

MIXES. Stamp Page-III - Here are postage stamps from Argentina, Belarus, Brazil (3), Djibouti, El Salvador, Finland, France, Mexico, Oman, Paraguay, Pitcairn Island, the Solomon Islands, and the U.S.S.R. (3); station and program stamps from Luxembourg ("Bringing Christ to the Nations"), Monaco (TWR), and the U.S. (WCFL); and some other "cinderellas" from Denmark (Arbejdernes Radioklub, Workers' Radio Club), Hungary (Orion Radio, an electronics company), the Netherlands (Hollandradio PTT), Switzerland (Basel radio exhibition), and the U.S. (RCA Victor "Magic Brain," Quarter Century Wireless Assn., Society of Wireless Pioneers, "V for Victory").

MIXES. Stamp Page-IV - This file includes the following: a descriptive folder containing four Australian "Golden Days of Radio" stamps (1991); radio-related postage stamps from Cuba (2), Russia, and the Philiipines (GMA network); and cinderellas from France (T.S.F.), Netherlands (Philips Radio), Sweden (Goteborg Radio point-to-point service), Scotland (Scottish National Radio Exhibition, 1933); a matchbox label for Radio Beedi cigarettes (India); and from Denmark a cinderella stamp that says "Listen to the whole world" (it is apparently from a store at "The Radio Corner," in Aarhus, the country’s second largest city).

MIXES. Stamp Page-V - This file contains radio-related postage stamps from Australia, Costa Rica (Radio Netherlands), Germany, South Korea, Liberia (ELWA), Malaysia, Norfolk Island (Radio Australia), Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, St. Helena, U.A.R. (Egypt), Uruguay and the U.S.S.R.; and these cinderellas: CFCN verification stamp (Canada), United Steampship Co. "Radio Letter" (Denmark), 1964 German shortwave radio, Radio of Free Asia, and Round the World DX Club.

MIXES. "Philately and Cable & Wireless" - Cable & Wireless, the British international telecom, was behind the scenes of some unusual shortwave broadcast catches of the past. They have also been the subject of some interesting philately. We have posted "Philately and Cable & Wireless," which pulls together some of the postage stamps and covers that recognize various aspects of C&W operations.

MIXES. Radio-related Covers From Turkey, Qatar (amateur), Pakistan and India

MIXES. Africa - Here is a file containing a number of philatelic items from Africa, specifically: (1) a stamp and postcard with a view of announcers at Radio Congo Belge, Belgian Congo, issued in Brussels on Congo independence day, June 30, 1960 (after which it was known as the Republic of the Congo); (2) a cover containing the first stamps issued by the Republic of Biafra, not radio-related but a nice reminder of the "original" Radio Biafra (Biafra was declared "independent" on May 30, 1967); (3) a set of four "communication" stamps issued on the tenth anniversary of the nominal "independence" of Bophuthatswama; the stamps are on postcard views of "Radio BOP"; (4) a 1996 first day cover issued on behalf of Radio Botswana and containing four radio-related stamps; (5) a 1959 cover with stamps issued by Egypt on behalf of the Arab Union of Telecommunications (Egypt was part of the United Arab Republic [Egypt and Syria] at the time); and (6) a cover with a stamp issued by Rwanda in 1974 on the centennial anniversary of the birth of Guglielmo Marconi (countless "Marconi" stamps have been issued by countries around the world).

MIXES. More Africa - Here is another group of radio-related philatelic items from Africa. Included are: (1) a 2012 cover from Algeria recognizing 50 years of an independent RTA (Radio-TV Algerienne); (2) a 1964 cover about microwave transmissions in Annaba, Algeria; (3) two covers from an old Angolan SWer, R. Clube do Humabo, promoting a philatelic show in Nova Lisboa in 1974; (4) a 1968 cover from the Ivory Coast recognizing a station in Tabou; (5) a 1960 Libyan cover issued on the occasion of the Third Pan Arab Congress on Radio & TV; (6) a 1963 Madagascar cover about microwave transmissions between Tananarive and Fianarantsoa; (7) a 1963 cover from Niger recognizing the second anniversary of the African and Malgache Post & Telecommunications Union; (8) a 1977 cover and data sheet about 21 years of SABC broadcasting in Southwest Africa (now Namibia); and (9) several postal items celebrating the first anniversary of Radio Transkei (one of the short-lived South African "homelands").

MIXES. More Covers - Here are five radio-related items: (1) from Austria, a 40th anniversary cover and three 50th anniversary covers for Radio Austria-Oesterreichischer Rundfunk; (2)from Belgium, four items commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Belgian radio networks; (3) from Norway, two 50th anniversary covers, and a 1965 cover for the coastal station Isfjord Radio; (4) a 1992 cover from St. Helena commemorating four island anniversaries, including Radio St. Helena's 25th; and (5)from the former Yugoslavia, a 30th and a 40th anniversary cover for Radio Koper Capodistria, and two 2006 Serbian cards recognizing Nikola Tesla.

MIXES. More Covers - Here is a file containing various postage covers from south of the border (some very far south), specifically: (1) Mexican radio stars (1995); (2) 50th anniversary of radiotelephone transmissions in Argentina (1970); (3) the Third South American Radio Communications Conference , Rio de Janeiro (1945); (4) 50th anniversary of the Federal Broadcasting System of Brazil (1986, two images); (5) 50th anniversary of an ex-Colombian AM-FMer, HJCK (2000); (6) 50th anniversary of Radio Nacional de Colombia (1990); (7) dual 10th/60th anniversaries of utility communications in the Falkland Islands (1977); (8) communications in South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands (2006); and (9) a postal cachet of Armed Forces Radio-McMurdo, 6012 kHz. (1983).

MIXES. Montserrat and Uruguay First Day Covers - Here is a first day cover from Montserrat with four stamps showing radio stations on the island--Radio Montserrat, Radio Gem FM, Radio Antilles, and Cable & Wireless. (Mediumwave Radio Antilles and the BBC-DW Relay Station were both part of the Antilles Radio Corp. Ltd.). And we have posted a file containing five postal items from Uruguay: (1) a cover and (2) a postcard bearing the 1974 "50 Aniversario Radiodiusora Nacional" stamp; (3) a 1998 cover with the "70 Aniversario de Radio--Carve" stamp; and (4) and (5), two covers, each with a different four-stamp block of "SODRE" stamps issued on the occasion of SODRE's 70th anniversary in 1999.

MIXES. More First Day Covers - Here is another group of first-day covers from stations and radio-related organizations: (1) a first-day cover from 2002 recognizing All India Radio and 75 Years of Indian Broadcasting; (2) a 2011 stamp and a good-looking cover recognizing 100 years of the Indian Corps of Signals; (3) from 2011, a stamp and first-day cover for the Frequency Allocation Board of Pakistan; (4) a 2011 stamp and cover on behalf of HJCK, "El Mundo en Bogota," formerly a Colombian FM and AM station, now internet only; (5) a 1992 stamp and cover for the 70th Anniversary of Chilean radio; (6) a stamp and cover issued in 1969 on the occasion of the inauguration of the Radio Nederland Bonaire relay station; and (7) a series of six stamps and a 2006 first-day cover celebrating the 70th Anniversary of ZNS, Bahamas (which used to broadcast on shortwave).

MIXES. More First Day Covers - Here are seven radio-related first day covers: Radio Romania, 80 Years, 2008; Radio Gambia, 10 Years, 1972; Radio Andorra, 2010; Radio Vaticana, 1959; Radio Kuwait, 50 years, 2001; Prasar Bharati (Broadcasting Corp. of India), 50 Years, 1998; and Radio Luxembourg, 50 Years, 1979.

MIXES. Here are some new philately items: (1) an envelope from HCJB showing the various mediumwave and shortwave frequencies that the station was using at the time (1948, if I read the postmark correctly); (2) a 1979 stamp from Radio Nacional de Bolivia commemorating the station's 50th anniversary; (3) a stamp from Peru depicting the Radio Nacional del Peru antennas and giving the call letters and frequencies of familiar R. Nacional shortwave channels 9562 and 6082 kHz.; (4) a first day cover issued in 1970 to commemorate the fifth anniversary of Trans World Radio transmissions from Bonaire; (5) a first day cover issued in 2008 in recognition of Radio El Salvador; and (6) a great looking 12-stamp sheet issued by Galei Zahal, the Israeli armed forces station, in 2008.

MIXES. More First Day Covers - (1) 50th Anniversary of Swiss Radio International, 1985; (2) 50th Anniversary of Norsk Rikskringkasting<, Norway, 1975; (3) the inauguration of new Radio Canada International transmitters in Sackville, 1971; (4) 50th Anniversary of broadcasting in Japan (NHK), 1975; 50th Anniversary of Radio Nepal, 2000; and (6) a 25th Anniversary commemorative sheet from Radio Nacional de Angola.

MIXES. More First Day Covers - (1) the new HCJB first day cover commemorating the station's 75th anniversary; and (2) a file containg a variety of FDCs for Vatican stamps issued to commemorate Vatican Radio--a 1981 series for the station's 50th anniversary, and some 1959 stamps for the inauguration of the Santa Maria di Galeria transmitter site.

MIXES. More First Day Covers - Two first day covers celebrating Radio Japan's 25th anniversary, June 1, 1960, together with an English-Japanese explanatory card; two additional first-day covers from the BBC Ascension Island relay station, one commemorating the station's 25th anniversary (1991) and the other celebrating its 30th anniversary (1996); a FDC from Radio Maryja, Poland, celebrating its 10th anniversary (2001); and a 2005 FDC celebrating the 100th birthday of Lahti, Finland. One of the two stamps on the Lahti cover depicts the Lahti transmitter towers from which Radio Finland broadcast on shortwave for many years, and on the back is an aerial view of the transmitter site. Finally, there is a brief article about radio stamp collecting from the July 1956 issue of Popular Electronics.

MIXES. More First Day Covers- Taiwan, 30th Anniversary of Broadcasting, 1927-1957; Austria, 50 Years of Radio Austria (1974); CBC-Radio Canada (1986); and Fiji, Birth of Radio Communications, 1996 (ZJV was the Fiji Broadcasting Corp., Ltd.).

MIXES. BBC Ascension/Radio Netherlands Bonaire - Two first day covers commemorating the opening of shortwave relay stations--the BBC on Ascension (1966), and the Radio Netherlands relay on Bonaire (1969).

CINDERELLAS. More Poster Stamps - Here are two more files of "poster stamps" for radio shows, which were, in the 1920s (some later), a popular way for companies to promote their radio equipment. One file is for domestic shows, the other is for shows in other countries.

CINDERELLAS. Toblerone Cinderella Stamps - The Swiss chocolatier Toblerone began selling high quality chocolates in 1908. During the early decades of the 1900s, "Tobler" issued a multitude of cinderella stamps in connection with their products (a "cinderella" is a stamp intended for non-postage purposes, usually advertising). Tobler stamps covered many different topics, radio being one. (There were even some in "Ido," a relative of the Esperanto "language.") Here are the 12 Tobler stamps in the "Radio and Its Application" series. They depict a variety of scenes from radio's early days--stations, receiving equipment, studios, radio-equipped ships, "listening" scenes, etc. Zoom in for the detail.

CINDERELLAS. Radio Club Seals/Stickers - Many radio clubs have issued seals or stickers from time to time for use on reception reports or members' correspondence. Here is a new file which includes seals or stickers from: (1) Canadian DX Relay, an early Canadian broadcast band club; (2) the International Short Wave Club; (3) an early sticker from the Newark News Radio Club which displays an inset for the "Newark News DX Club," the club's original name; (4) the traditional NNRC seal (in both red-black-gold and green-black-gold); (5) the National Radio Club; (6) the Radio League of America, a Gernsback-sponsored amateur radio organization formed in 1915; (7) the otherwise-unknown Round the World DX Club; and (8) the Radio Signal Survey League (RSSL), a group formed in 1937 by All-Wave Radio magazine.

CINDERELLAS. Poster Stamps - A "cinderella" is any stamp that is not useable for postage. "Poster stamps" are a subcategory of cinderellas, usually used for advertising or promotional purposes. Poster stamps were a popular collectible in the 1920s and 1930s. Here is a file containing examples of a number of radio-related poster stamps, mostly for radio shows where manufacturers displayed their latest wares. The stamps are from New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Milwaukee, St. Louis, and Detroit. The "Radio Exhibition Olympia" stamp is probably from the U.K.

CINDERELLAS. More Poster Stamps - Here are more radio-related poster stamps. These are from Philadelphia, Chicago, Boston, Cleveland, New York, Rochester, St. Louis, and Detroit.

POW MONITORING

"Unbroken and the POW Messages of Louie Zamperini" - Unbroken is the title of the 2010 book by Laura Hillenbrand and the movie of the same name that was released four years later. It was a surprise to learn that California's 1936 hometown hero, Olympic runner Louie Zamperini, who spent a month and a half on a raft and two years getting rough treatment in Japanese prisoner camps, had himself voiced a POW message over Radio Tokyo. This paper, by Jerry Berg, presents the story.

"Short Waves of Hope" - Previously we posted a POW message recorded by listener B. O. South of San Francisco, California. Another message recorded by B. O. South, in April 1945, is on file at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra, and can be heard by going to www.awm.gov.au/collection/S05891/ and clicking one of the numbered sound files ("Sound 1," "Sound 2," etc.; they are all the same recording). The message also features in a short article, "Short Waves of Hope," written by AWM Asst. Sound Curator Gabrielle Considine for AWM's "Wartime" magazine for October 2014. We have posted the article, and if you zoom in on it you can read the details on the record label and the cardboard mailer. The text of the message is in the article.

"POW Monitoring in the NNRC" - Here is another article by Jerry Berg with some pages from the wartime NNRC bulletin where the POW monitoring activities of several club members are discussed.

"POW Monitoring and the Messages of Alfred R. Young" - We have posted some of the thank you letters received by August Balbi for POW messages that he heard on shortwave and forwarded to POW families during World War II. The other half of the communications link is, of course, the original card or letter sent by the listener to the family. A large collection of such cards and letters, received by the parents of Alfred R. Young, who was a POW in Japan during the war, have been posted by Young's son at http://www.alyoung.com/My_Fathers_Captivity/Documents/ In this article, Jerry Berg takes a detailed look at these cards and letters to see what they tell us about POW message monitoring during Word War II. The article is best read in connection with a visit to http://www.alyoung.com/My_Fathers_Captivity/Documents/ because many of the cards and letters posted there are referred to in the article.

August Balbi's POW Monitoring, Part I - Among the August Balbi DX materials that were turned over to CPRV in 1988 are some fascinating items pertaining to World War II POW monitoring, i.e. the practice of transcribing POW messages broadcast over the shortwave station where the prisoner was interned and forwarding the message on to family members. Here in Part I are lists of some of the POW messages that August Balbi heard over Radio Tokyo, MTCY-Manchuria, and Berlin.

August Balbi's POW Monitoring, Part II - In Part I we showed typed lists of some of the POW messages that August Balbi heard over Radio Tokyo, MTCY-Manchuria, and Berlin. This time we have scanned some of August's notes that contain details of the messages themselves.

August Balbi's POW Monitoring, Part III - After sending a postcard to the POW's family, POW monitors were often rewarded with a card or letter of thanks.

August Balbi's POW Monitoring, Part IV - Here is another group of thank you cards and letters received by DXer August Balbi from the families to whom he sent word of POW messages heard from Far Eastern Axis stations during World War II.

August Balbi's POW Monitoring, Part V - Here is another group of thank you's sent to August Balbi by families to whom he relayed POW messages during World War II.

Amazing War Effort By A Small Group - Here is an article received from the New Zealand Radio DX League authored by long time Kiwi DXer Jack Fox, detailing the history of the POW message monitoring effort in New Zealand during World War II.

World War II Radio Heroes: Letters of Compassion - A review of a new book by Lisa L. Spahr which focuses on two elements of the POW monitoring story: the Short-Wave Amateur Monitors Club, which was formed to organize POW monitors, and the American government's reaction to POW monitoring.

Radio Tokyo POW Message - Here is an actual POW message read over what was then known as Radio Tokyo. It was recorded on January 5, 1945 by one B. O. South of San Francisco, California, who must have made POW recordings regularly, as the envelope in which the recording was mailed contains the machine-printed message, "Postmaster: Contents--Recorded Voice from Prisoner of War in Japan. Please HAND CANCEL." As shown on the envelope, the home made, cardboard-style record apparently traveled from Wilmington, North Carolina (home of the family of the POW, Milton G. White), to Fort Bliss, Texas, to Camp Claiborne, Louisiana. The back of the envelope also contains a Columbus, Ohio postmark. The POW message was read by a studio announcer, which was the standard practice back then. A transcription of the POW message, the record, and mailing envelope can be seen here.

"A Passion With A Purpose--The Prisoner of War Message Service, 1951-1952," by Dr. Frank Glen of New Zealand. The POW message services of World War II are now fairly well known. This article, which appears in the September 2003 edition of the New Zealand Radio DX League's New Zealand DX Times, chronicles a similar but little known effort during the Korean war wherein SWLs monitored POW broadcasts over Radio Peking and passed their contents along to loved ones and the government. Thanks to Frank Glen and the NZRDXL for permission to reproduce this excellent article.

POW Monitoring in World War II - by Morton Bardfield, W1UQ.

Short-Wave Radio Monitors Let Families Know of Their Capture by Thom Wilson.

GENERAL RADIO HISTORY

Indochina Jungle Field Station Drawing - Here is a piece of radio-related art work: a copy of a pen-and-ink drawing of a jungle field station, "station radio operationnelle," in 1952 Indochina. It depicts a hand-cranked radio set, two presumably-French military men, and other local civilians and military persons. "Indochina" was the name of today's Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam when they were under French control (which was until 1954). This design shows up on eBay from time to time, either as a 10" x 13-1/2" print or a 4" x 6" folded note card (inside is blank, not shown). After some research, an eBay seller, together with the late John Campbell (then living in France), offered their interpretations of some of the text shown on these items. The name and date at the lower right of the drawing appears to be "H. Bé, 1987"; R.H.A. = Revue Historique de l'Armée; Imp. E.A.T. = Press of Ecole d'Application des Transmission, Montargis, France 45207, a military radio school. The "Balkis" reference is to the quality and weight of the paper, and "100 exemplaires" perhaps means that 100 prints were made from the original design (the eBay items are likely machine reproductions made from one of those prints). The seller thought the drawing may have been made by a military student at the school. We would welcome any further information on the origins of this drawing.

Trinkets-VI - Here are the fronts and backs of various medals and similar items commemorating various radio events. They are: (1) "First Radio Broadcast" (not otherwise described); (2) "50 Years of Broadcasting" (KDKA); (3) "50th Anniversary of First Transatlantic Broadcast" (1923, KDKA to England on shortwave); (4) Centennial of Marconi's birth (1874-1974); (5) "Birth of Modern Broadcasting" (KDKA 1920); (6) "British Broadcasting Begins" (John Reith, 1927); (7) "International Radio Week," Jan. 24-30, 1926 (mediumwave); (8) 'Men from Mars' Invasion Scare" (1938); (9) "Broadcasting's Golden Anniversary" (NAB Convention, 1970); and (10) Centennial of the birth of Alexander Popov, 1859-1959 ("Russia's Marconi").

NBC Monitoring Post - By the time Europe was engaged in war, shortwave had become a reliable means of long distance communication, and many countries were engaged in shortwave broadcasting. In order to provide up-to-the-minute news, some American media organizations set up their own monitoring posts. NBC's was located first at Rockefeller Center in New York City, then at Bellmore, Long Island. Here is an article from the July 1941 issue of RCA Review describing the NBC monitoring setup.

More NBC Monitoring - Returning to the subject of NBC shortwave monitoring during the war, here is an oversize (11 x 17") information piece issued by NBC in 1941 describing it's then-new monitoring post in Bellmore, Long Island. It outlines the NBC international news gathering system and dramatizes listening post activities. It also contains many interesting photos.

1XAL - In 1924, Irving Vermilya of Mattapoisett, Massachusetts operated his broadcast band station, WBBG, on 1250 kc., 240 meters. In those days people often held multiple licenses in different categories, and that was the case with Irving. His call letters as a "special land station"--reserved for experimental operations--were 1XAL (no relation to the later Boston SWBC station W1XAL), and he was authorized to operate on 200 meters and 1277-1304 meters (1500 kc. and 230-235 kc.). Irving used 1XAL to conduct long distance tests, and he made a series of broadcasts in which he hoped to reach Manchester, England. Whether he accomplished this is unknown, but he definitely was heard closer to home. Here is a group of 13 postcard reports that Irving received for a 1XAL test on Saturday night-Sunday morning, May 10-11, 1924. Most were from nearby places--Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Maine--but a few were from farther afield: Norwich, New York and New York City, Philadelphia and Tamaqua, Pennsylvania, and distant Valparaiso, Indiana. Judging from these cards it looks like Irving used broadcast programming for these tests. Most of the cards are in the nature of applause cards rather than classic reception reports; in only two did the writer request a confirmation.

"FBIS in Retrospect" - In 1971, the Foreign Broadcast Information Service published "FBIS in Retrospect," a 56-page report highlighting various historic broadcasts that the agency had monitored over its then-30 year life, Among them: the attempted assassination of Hitler; Japan's surrender; the death of Stalin; the Soviet move into Hungary; the Soviet missile pullout from Cuba; Khrushchev's retirement; the start of the Six-Day War in the Middle East; etc.

"The Future of International Short-Wave Reception" - As more and more stations reduce or cancel their shortwave activity in favor of other media platforms, it is worth remembering how much hope shortwave engendered in its early days. During the months of April through July, 1935, Charles A. Morrison, President of the International DXers Alliance, an international DX club, wrote a four-part series in Radio News called "The Future of International Short-Wave Reception." Morrison felt the world was on the verge of a "new international unity," thanks largely to shortwave. In addition to his prognostications about the future of shortwave, he gave a nice review of the DX scene--stations and equipment--of the day. Here are the the four Morrison articles in one file.

"Rip Discovers Radio" - This is a pamphlet from RCA called "Rip Discovers Radio" in which an RCA information girl explains to an awakening Rip Van Winkle all about the wonders of 1939 RCA.

Soviet Jamming - Here is a potted history of Soviet jamming, issued by the USIA in May 1987.

Wireless Telegraphy - An article from the November 1899 (!) issue of Machinery magazine, reminding us of what high-tech was back then.

"Ultra-High" Broadcasting - During the 1930s and 1940s, many U.S. stations conducted experimental broadcasting in the 25-27 and 42-50 MHz. bands. One of those who followed these developments closely was Perry Ferrell, who decades later would be the co-founder of Gilfer Shortwave and a good friend to DXers (including many ontheshortwaves followers). Here is an article by Perry from the January 1940 issue of Radio & Television (originally Short Wave Craft). A few years earlier Perry wrote a regular column on "ultra-high" stations for another magazine, All-Wave Radio. On the last two pages of this file, check out the Pacific shortwave news and "Let's Listen In With Joe Miller," with items from Italian East Africa, Manchukuo, and Indo-China. It was indeed another era.

War Across the Airwaves by Lesley Chamberlain - an interesting piece about the early days of the BBC Monitoring Service, pointed out by Mike Barraclough of the World DX Club.

Early Amateur Radio History by Bill Smith.

Reginald Aubrey Fessenden by Brian Smith.

Long time DXer Jim Cumbie of Dallas, Texas has sent along some interesting magazine articles about early radio.