That's Gneiss! #121 ~ Down the Rabbit Hole
Also: Uncle Wormy and your irrational fears (not related)
Hello friends!
It’s been a busy week as I recover from vacation and get ready for my trip to the PLA Conference in Nashville. I’ll be leaving on Tuesday and back in time to report on my adventures in next week’s newsletter!
Today I’m going to share something I learned about this week when I followed a rabbit hole across the internet. I love the fun of discovering interesting or strange things, much like browsing through a funky old shop.
It’s the junk shop of information!
The other day, this post on Instagram caught my attention.
Okay, maybe it was the “special online only sale” promise that intrigued me, enough to get me to scroll through all of the photos, where I saw this:
Who doesn’t love a person riding a giant rabbit (or a jackalope)? I certainly can’t resist. I hopped over to the Half Letter Press website to learn more about the items included in the sale.
Get it? Hopped. Haha.
There were several interesting publications on offer. I was very intrigued by Hardcore Architecture and Abandoned Signs. The entire catalog of publications will keep you busy for hours. For now though, we’re going to stick with the rabbit that lured me into this hole.
73S FROM THE EVERGREEN STATE: CB RADIO QSL CARDS FROM WASHINGTON
Folk Art. Radio history. Social media of the 1970s. Big business. CB Radio QSL cards were a big fad for a changing world and are a fascinating glimpse into a forgotten craze. This booklet showcases cards from all over the state of Washington and is meant to give a small glimpse into the variety of artists, styles, locations and handles that defined CB Radio QSL cards in the Evergreen State. All cards are from the collection of Jordan Smith of the website 73sand88s.com
What the heck are these things? We had better head over the the website and find out.
They are certainly weird! Right up my alley.
QSL cards were used by radio amateurs to confirm their two-way radio contacts with each other.
Hmmm… I need to know more. Wikipedia has a particularly thorough article.
A QSL card is a written confirmation of either a two-wayradiocommunication between two amateur radio stations; a one-way reception of a signal from an AM radio, FM radio, television or shortwave broadcasting station; or the reception of a two-way radiocommunication by a third party listener. A typical QSL card is the same size and made from the same material as a typical postcard, and most are sent through the mail as such.
These things are a trip. And considering their popularity in the 70’s, you can imagine what a lot of the art looks like - I won’t be posting it here as it’s either NSFW or a bit dodgy. And yes - there are clowns.
Some of them are simple, hand-drawn pictures.
And other folks made a business of selling custom designs.
This artist, Runnin Bare, was very prolific, and had a distinct style. You can read about him and the QSL card craze in this article by Jordan Smith, the collector of these cards and author of the booklet that originally caught my eye.
CB Radio QSL Cards: A 1970s Social Media Craze
Essentially, upon making radio contact the operators sent these quirky postcards to each other to confirm the connection. The cards were a fun collector’s item for radio enthusiasts, and during the craze tens of thousands of them were created and shared. I could spend hours looking at these! You can too.
Collection by States and Provinces: 73s and 88s
Full collection on Flickr: QSL Cards (NSFW)
And because the rabbit hole never ends, I’ll see you in a few years after I emerge from the Cardboard America Archives and the Flashbak website - where everything old is new again!
It’s time for me to get moving and get packing for my trip to Nashville. Thanks for joining me here this week!
~Anne
Tidbits
“The internet is great if you know what you’re looking for,” he adds, “but it’s a lousy browsing vehicle.” Instead of being followed around online for days by ads for a product you already ordered (or considered and ruled out), you can peruse catalogs at your leisure and disengage fully when you’re done. It’s so analog, it almost feels wholesome.
Turn your dog’s bark into sailor talk and become the most hated on your block! (more bizarre and dubiously useful products… or is it all a joke?)
Is that old book rare and valuable? Here are some tips on rare book research.
Dogs, art, and comics - my friend Jenny has started a newsletter of her own called Jenny’s Library. Check it out!
Making: plans for my trip to Nashville this week! Must see: Nudie’s Honky Tonk, and Hatch Show Print (a proper letterpress print shop!)
Recently eaten: a lot of yummy home-cooked meals, including Michael’s amazing mac & cheese.
Reading: I finished Devolution: A Firsthand Account of the Rainier Sasquatch Massacre and all I can say is “Yikes!” I enjoyed it. Now I’m back to it with my friend Murderbot, in the fourth installment Exit Strategy. I won’t be reading much this week, but I do hope to pick up some great new books at the PLA conference this week.
Videos of the Week
Michael sent me after some great new (to me) music last night. I’d definitely go see these guys live. I love their sound!
They’re so good - here’s another. Great entrance!
Another band with a great sound…
Question of the Week
If you feel like answering the question, hit reply to this email. Answers will be shared in next week’s newsletter - anonymously. Don’t be shy! General public commenting is available too.
Who doesn’t love a glossy print catalog? What are (or were) your favorites to receive in the mail?
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Last week I asked about your irrational fears.
I have an irrational fear of tunnels or caves. No idea why. Not a fan. Driving through tunnels is fine, but walking or crawling through small tunnels, no. We toured Wind Cave National Park a few years back (I think it's the largest cave system in the world). I did the tour, and it was roomy enough for a tour group, but I couldn't wait for it to be over. I liked the Visitor's Center though. Especially because it had an active map of where new areas were being currently being explored and documented. By other people, not me. Can you imagine those brave souls down there squeezing their way through tiny tunnels they have no idea if they could get back out of? >>Shudder<<
I am petrified of spiders. I don’t mind them so much when I see them in their webs outside. They are amazing creatures, after all. I don’t want to see them in my house, though. And those big black house spiders? I don’t care if they’re harmless. If they’re so harmless, why do then need to be so big?
I have a weird fear that I’ll drop my keys down a storm drain. Who knows where that came from, it’s never happened to me. And it never will!
*clutching keys in pocket so they don’t jump into the drain*
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