St. Joseph Hospital - Bellingham, Washington

Although I might prefer spending time in a hospital that looks like this instead of one of those massive institutions, I would like to make one request: don't carry my stretcher up those front steps. This 53-bed facility was built in 1901 for $21,000 by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace. They raised money to build it by selling hospital tickets far and wide, including to gold miners in Alaska.  Many children with polio were hospitalized here during the 1940s and 1950s.  The facility was expanded several times, but was finally replaced in 1966.

The back of the card has no message, only the address of Miss Phoebe Stinson of Boston.

More information and pictures of the hospital can be found here.

Ham Radio QSL Card

Ham radio operators send QSL cards to each other as a way of verifying contact between stations. QSL is what's known as a Q code used in radio communication. As far as I know, it stands for Query Station Location.  The cards would include the call signs of both stations as well as other information, including the date, time, mode of transmission, frequency and a signal report. Occasionally, they also include information on the equipment used. Although some cards are very simple, others are very creative and colorful, like this one.

This operator sent his card from Moscow, USSR in 1959.

The cards are sent in envelopes, either directly to the recipient or through QSL bureaus, which forward them on to recipients. Use of the QSL bureaus cuts down on postage costs, but delivery time is longer. Nowadays, people can also send the QSL cards electronically as .jpg files.  While there is no postage cost with this, and the confirmation is very quick, it lacks the quality of a paper card that has traveled across the country or around the world.

Many ham radio operators have large collections of QSL cards. I think the hobby is not as widespread as it used to be though. Sadly, technology has diminished the role of the ham radio for communication in emergency situations as well as for recreation.
Here's a link to a website that highlights old QSL  cards.

Oh, the Automobile!

When cars first became available they were still out of reach for many. But if you couldn't buy your own automobile, you could at least pose in one for a studio photograph.

Here are the backs of the cards in the same order.

 The card above was sent to Mrs. Minnie Freese in the small town of Veazie, Maine in 1911.  The people sending the card from Seattle, Washington don't seem to know her personally, but they plan to meet her at the train from her cross-country journey. From the writing style, it would appear that C.N. Babcock is accustomed to writing telegrams.

Mrs. Freese

We received letter. We meet you at train Mrs. Mortin live in town I know where lives  I probly will see here to day I am writing this on my purs so exquse my writing if you should not find us ther fret we will be there  I will give you my phone (sunSet) phone queen Ann 2964 

C.N. Babcock

Motor on over to Sepia Saturday for more old photos.