Standards Manual is pleased to announce their tenth title: QSL? (Do You Confirm Receipt of My Transmission?), a collection of over 150 “QSL cards”, showcasing the often overlooked visual history of amateur, or “ham”, radio. Archived from the collection of designer Roger Bova, the cards reveal a rich typographic expression that is rare in their authenticity—each card a personal reflection of the station’s operator.

A topic mostly unknown to those outside of the amateur radio community, QSL cards represent a time in global communication before the Internet age, yet distinctly remind us of the social media “handles” used today. Each card prominently displays a typographic “call sign” on the front, often followed by technical “contact data” on the verso. Produced by the radio operators themselves (or local print shop), the results are broad in approach—some minimal, others maximal, hand-drawn, photographic, or a hybrid of media.

QSL? is now available.

 


About Standards Manual

Standards Manual is an independent publishing imprint founded by designers Jesse Reed and Hamish Smyth in New York City in 2014.

Our mission is to archive and preserve artifacts of design
history and make them available to future generations. From reprinted
graphics standards manuals to new compendiums of archival work, our
titles always aim to make great design available to all.

As designers ourselves, we value high quality books. As an independent publisher, we produce our books using only the finest
papers, printing, and finishing methods. We don’t cut corners when it comes to quality.