This is Vintage Thingies Thursday, so go and check out Colorado Lady's blog and visit all of the other Vintage Thursday blogs. You will see so many interesting items! I always learn something new. I have two items today that have to do with Media/Communications of the 1960's I found recently while helping my Mother clean out her basement. One is mine and the other belonged to my Dad. Can you guess what this is? No, it's NOT a cake carrier.
This is my old DISK GO CASE in beautiful harvest gold. It is a 45 record carrier and holds about 40 of my most cherished 45lps. I see where they are selling for about $10 on ebay. You twist the handle and presto it opens to reveal.....
Look closely and you can see The Beatles, Cream, and The Rolling Stones. And yes, I have The Beatles "I Want To Hold Your Hand"!
Below is an Amateur Ham Radio operator's Morse Code Oscillator Key. My Dad got his Ham Radio license in the early 60's and I remember him making Heath Kit radios and transmitters. He kept all of his radio equipment in one of our bottom kitchen cabinets and I remember him talking into the radio every night. He would transmit signals in Morse Code "talking" to people around the world.
After each contact, he would keep a record of the transmission in a little log book. This is his first log book from 1962.
After each contact, he would keep a record of the transmission in a little log book. This is his first log book from 1962.
He and his fellow Ham Radio operators kept in touch with each other by sending personalized post cards with their call letters on the front and a short message on the back. He was an engineer and was very organized. He kept his cards in alphabetical order by states.
Below are a few of the postcards I found. Some were handmade but most were professionally printed. Some even have photos of the ham operator with their radio equipment.
This shot shows the address side of the card. I thought this one was interesting with "Pray For Peace" stamped on the back. It is dated Feb 1963! Probably around the time of the Cuban Missle Crisis. He always tried to get my brother and me interested in learning Morse Code. I think I learned "SOS" and that was about it. Morse Code did come in handy when he could not contact his mother in Mississippi after tornados wiped out communication in her little town. He was able to contact a fellow Ham Radio operator in Mississippi who confirmed she was safe.
14 comments:
These are so cool! I never even knew there was such a thing as a 45 carrier? I had so many 45's but never knew about this! AND, I never knew someone could get a HAM radio license! This is really a cool post! And, PS....I DID think this was a cake carrier!!
Very cool items, Kathi. And I did know that the first item held 45s. That shows my age...
Thanks for sharing!
Living it up at Lakewood,
Cindy
That record carrying case is really cool. It does look like a cake carrier!
Everything you have shown here is just so neat! Thanks for sharing!
This was the most interesting post I've seen in a long time! Love the old record carrying case. It brought back memories of how I would spend my allowance every week on a new 45! And I also love the whole ham radio story, especially those post cards. I have never heard of that, and I wonder if they still do that to this day?
Happy VTT!
Wow the radio things with the cards is a whole collection. And so cool - irreplaceable really. What a great memory!
I love that kind of thing
Wow what great stuff! The record carrying case is just too cool!
Jocelyn
http://justalittlesouthernhospitality.blogspot.com/
I knew exactly what that was...I remember these and in the dark corners of my brain, I think I had a lime green one! I had forgot all about these...thanks for the memory, your post was really fun...
Have a great VTT and a wonderful weekend.
WOW - What memories!!!!! My brothers and sisters had some 45s of the Beatles and what I wouldn't give to have those now! I remember when I only bought 45s because I couldn't afford the whole album. SOOOO neat ~ ♥
It looked like a cake carrier to me! Surprise!!! And the story about your dad, and the great items you saved - wonderful! Thanks for sharing!
You have some real vintage treasures of your own as well as your dads. Your post was interesting and informative. You may feel free to use my photos as you wish. Happy you stopped by.
My hubby was a HAM for a while - - - but the internet has sorta "killed" the need of that, so he does it no more.
I always wondered what those carrying cases were..I have seen them before but never with the records in it. So I had no idea...How retro cool.
Great post mom I love it! The pictures look so good against the blue. I love vintage thursday and reading about all these stories!!!
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