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| Radio Pax, Mozambique -1964. An example of a "faded QSL." |
However, it was discovered that QSL
cards displayed on the wall in this way would deteriorate over a period of
time. The card could become brittle and
the corners break off. Then too, the
printing on the card would deteriorate from the continual exposure to
light. Some cards became darkened, and
on others the print began to fade.
Then too, how was the card affixed
to the wall? Were there now pin holes in
the card? Or even worse, was the card
affixed in some way to the wall with a touch of glue?
In the Indianapolis Heritage
Collection, there are several QSL cards that are almost unreadable due to
fading print, and these cards were issued by radio stations in several
different countries, including Hawaii, New Zealand, Australia, the United
States and Germany.
A 1947 QSL card from mediumwave KPOA
in Honolulu Hawaii was printed by a gelatin copying process onto an American 1
cent postal card. This QSL card has
faded so badly that it is now totally unreadable, and we know that it is from
station KPOA only by comparison with a similar card that has not faded. The faint outline of a palm tree can be seen,
as well as the word Honolulu.
On the address side, the post office
cancellation clearly shows Honolulu with the date May 24, 1949. This card was addressed to a listener in New
Zealand, and it verifies KPOA with 5 kW on 630 kHz.
Two other QSL cards from Hawaii are
darkened by age. A 1931 buff colored
card from the famous KGMB, with 500 watts on 1320 kHz, has darkened
considerably with age and exposure to light; likewise a 1932 card from KGU,
with 1 kW on 940 kHz, has also darkened considerably under the same
conditions. Incidentally, affixed to the
KGU card is their own advertising stamp, a water scene with the familiar words,
Aloha from Hawaii.
A 1937 card from 4ZR with just 5
watts on 1430 kHz at Balclutha in New Zealand is faded so badly that only the
ink written date May 31, 1937 is readable.
Two other cards from New Zealand, station 2ZH with 65 watts on 820 kHz
in Napier and 2ZW with 1 kW on 1120 kHz in Wellington, have also faded. The text in black is quite readable though
the callsign in color is almost gone.
Back in the middle of last century,
many international radio monitors in the South Pacific considered that the most
beautiful card in their collection was from station 2DU in Dubbo, New South
Wales. However, the pretty rainbow
colors have faded on all three cards in the Indianapolis Heritage Collection. Back then this country radio station 2DU
operated with 200 watts on 660 kHz.
A 1931 buff colored card from KFVD
with 250 watts on 1000 kHz in Culver City California shows very evidently that
it has been exposed to sunlight over a long period of time. This card is now very dark, except for the
marks left by the thumb tacks that pinned the card to a wall. Likewise with similar cards from KGO and KPO
in San Francisco California, making them very hard to read.
A 1946 paper QSL “card” from BFN, the British Forces
Network in Germany verifies the reception of their Elmshorn transmitter on 7290
kHz. The paper is darkened by age, and
the color print in red and blue is faded.
So what then is the moral to this
little story? We would suggest that you
take good care of your own QSL collection.
If you wish to have it on display, you can buy a hanging piece of
plastic with pockets into which you can insert your QSL cards. At least the cards would not be damaged by
pins or glue. However, you can also buy
a photographic album, or postcard album, into which you can insert your QSL
collection.