Wild Postcards

Hot off the mailman’s hands, this handmade card arrived today, crafted by Lauren from love and ladybugs. It’s a shame that the scan doesn’t do justice to the three-dimensionality of the card. The time that went into this card means a lot to me, and I am sending something appropriate — though much less artistic — to her in return.

Crafted by Lauren from love and ladybugs.

“Between 1935 and 1943 the Works Progress Administration’s Federal Art Project printed over two million posters in 35,000 different designs to stir the public’s imagination for education, theater, health, safety, and travel. Due to their fragile nature only two thousand posters have survived. This contemporary design illustrates many of the WPA-era posters, including those of our National Parks.” And so, alas, it’s not a reproduction of an authentic WPA poster, but it did fool me. This brilliant re-creation is by Doug Leen and Brian Maebius.

This card comes from Marsha, who bought this card in Hawaii in January, and mailed it to me from Wisconsin in February.

Want to visit some other exotic places from times past? Check out today’s Postcard Friendship Friday.

“Between 1935 and 1943 the Works Progress Administration’s Federal Art Project printed over two million posters in 35,000 different designs to stir the public’s imagination for education, theater, health, safety, and travel. Due to their fragile nature only two thousand posters have survived. This contemporary design illustrates many of the WPA-era posters, including those of [...]

This is a QSL card which, in ham radio, is an acknowledgment from an operator that they have received your report of having heard their transmissions.  This particular card was sent to Bill Seaback of Tacoma, Washington, on 16 May 1960, all the way from Mike Nelson of Kakaha, Hawaii.  Bill was apparently a ham radio listener rather than an operator, and collected QSL cards from all over the Western Hemisphere.  I have several of his cards and most of them, like this card, were apparently displayed using thumbtacks.

Most QSL cards are personally designed by each operator.  Mike chose to reproduce some of the Olowalu Petroglyphs, which are prehistoric rock drawings on Maui.  It strikes me that Mike chose drawings that resemble, after a fashion, a ham radio operator and an antenna.

Mike acknowledges that Bill did indeed hear him talking to K7DQV on 7 May 1960.  It turns out that K7DQV was Fred Nelson of Puyallup, Washington; let’s assume that Fred was Mike’s brother.  If you think about it, it’s really ingenious; in the days before reliable, inexpensive, transoceanic communication, Fred and Mike could talk on a regular basis via shortwave — and Bill could eavesdrop.

There’s no card from Fred among Bill’s collection, so it may be that Bill only heard the half of the conversation coming from Hawaii (which is entirely possible despite their proximity, especially since Fred was probably aiming his signals across the Pacific).  Or it could be that Bill just wasn’t interested in receiving a QSL card from someone in his backyard.

I was able to learn from the FCC that Mike relocated at some point to South Beach, Oregon, which is a straight shot down Interstate 5 from Fred, about five hours away.  I assume that both Mike and Fred, like Bill, have since passed on. Fred last renewed his license in 1994; Mike, in 1988.

This is a QSL card which, in ham radio, is an acknowledgment from an operator that they have received your report of having heard their transmissions.  This particular card was sent to Bill Seaback of Tacoma, Washington, on 16 May 1960, all the way from Mike Nelson of Kakaha, Hawaii.  Bill was apparently a ham [...]

Number two grandson Austin and I have been learning about the postal system.  He frequently raids my stack of postcards for trade, and we mail a couple of cards a week from my house to his.  He always wants to put the “stickers” on himself; we haven’t quite mastered the concept of postage yet, and so we usually wind up choosing stamps based on their aesthetic qualities rather than their face value.  Usually this means putting a 42-cent stamp on a card that requires only 27 cents postage.

Austin was eyeing the Northern Lights, Lapland, Finland card with some jealousy today.  “I want that card,” he said.  “You can’t have that card,” said Grandpa, “it was sent to me and, besides, it’s already been used so we couldn’t send it to you.”  “I want people to send me cards,” said the child.  I explained that, in order to receive cards, one should send cards and, thus, another Postcrossing user is born.

The "before" picture.

We sent the Moloka’i card from this official USPS book of “Wonders of America Coloring Postcards” to a Postcrosser in China, while the Bering Glacier card went to another Postcrosser in Maryland.  While Austin was able to sign the cards himself, I addressed them and transcribed his messages.  Primarily he discussed his color choices; I’m sure the recipients will appreciate such insight into the creative process.

It’s also a learning process from a geographical standpoint; we compared our position on the globe with those of the two recipients, and made the correlation that the card that was going all the way across the ocean to China “needs more stickers.”

If you’re feeling charitable, send the boy a postcard in care of me at my address.  He likes cards that are primarily green or red in color, or cards that feature birds, cars, or soldiers. One of us will gladly send a postcard to you in return!

Number two grandson Austin and I have been learning about the postal system.  He frequently raids my stack of postcards for trade, and we mail a couple of cards a week from my house to his.  He always wants to put the “stickers” on himself; we haven’t quite mastered the concept of postage yet, and [...]