The Rhode Island QSL Archive was established in 2021 to celebrate the visual culture of Ocean State amateur radio enthusiasts from decades past. In 2022, a grant from the Rhode Island Council for the Humanities helped the project grow, and select items were displayed as part of an exhibit with Cardboard America at Paper Nautilus Books. In 2023 the full archive of 300+ items was shown at AS220, after which point it was acquired by the Providence Public Library’s Special Collections department.
Past Exhibits:
DesignxRI’s 10 Year Exhibition, Machines with Magnets, Providence, RI, September 2023
True Bearing, AS220, Providence, RI, Feb 4–25, 2023
PSE QSL PVD, Paper Nautilus Books, Providence, RI, November 17—December 31, 2022
Special thanks to the New England Wireless and Steam Museum and Ken Carr
Here’s a map of all the original station locations, which were pulled from the cards themselves. Cards that have a PO Box are grouped together. All the red ‘radio icon’ locations have images attached; the blue pin locations don’t have their scans attached yet. Someday!
This project is made possible through major funding support from the Rhode Island Council for the Humanities, an independent state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. The Council seeds, supports, and strengthens public history, cultural heritage, civic education, and community engagement by and for all Rhode Islanders. Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this project do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.
