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.