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1925 Ham Shack •••
Arthur's 9CXX Ham Shack, circa 1925

Arthur Collins had already gained Ham Radio fame at age 14 by communicating with Captian Donald MacMillan's expedition to Greenland - when expert operators could not. We can see in these photos that his orderly "shack" was reflective of his love of radio science.

Have you ever wondered, "Who's QSL cards were plastered on Arthur's ham shack walls and ceiling? Who were those fellow hams that he made contact, and exchanged cards with?".
The photo below, from a 1925 Cedar Rapids Evening Gazette article, shows the young man posing at his shack's operation position - but the resolution of the image only hints that he had already collected an admirable group of QSL cards.

Lucky for us, we have a couple of original photos, that were taken at a similar time, to help answer the questions.
We are not sure of where this photo was taken. Thinking 1923. Note the wainscoting board rather than the sloping attic ceiling. Some of the QSLs are in the other photos below.

This highly-retouched image from The First 50 Years by: Ken C. Braband. Notice that Art has a nice cot for his late-night sessions. His transmitters, near the window, are assembled breadboard-style.
The cards in this photo are quite visible - including Art's 9CXX "Official Relay Station" certificate from the A.R.R.L. Interesting 'wireless' knife-switch mounted on the wall …keep in mind that the back-side of these attic walls were mostly accessible for add-on wiring.

In this photo, Art has acquired a longer table for his now, rack-mounted, transmitters. Click here to see the enlargement we used to decipher the QSLs.
Art's ham shack was on the third floor here at 514 Fairview Drive.
Using the photo above, we arranged Arthur's QSL collection into eleven columns and some twenty, or so, rows.
Row 0 is on the ceiling, rows 1 to 16 are on the slope, and rows 17 to 20 are flat on the wall.
Several cards have lettering too small or blurry to identify. However there are enough bold ones to create a list of who Arthur was "working" at the time. The columns to the far right of the room get more difficult to read - but if one stares long enough and squints just right - numbers and letters appear…
Below is our compilation of the QSL cards and who the Call was issued to as listed in the 1922 and 1926 additions of Citizens Radio Call Book.

Author's disclaimer: I'm not sure of the accuracy of my two Call Books in that the owners of certain call signs change around at times. I'll try to find a more reliable source - maybe the A.R.R.L. collection. Expect changes...
—Transcribed by Larry Tjaden and Rod Blocksome. Contributions by: Patrick Rigg (N5WX).
I recently changed the order to follow the call sign text.
Column & RowCall SignOwnerAddressState/Country
Column 11 Row 10 1-??
Column 1 Row 16 1-AMS John Pelson Sharon Massachusetts
Column 1 Row 7 1-AXN K. O'Toole Box 140, Springville Connecticut
Column 1 Row 10 1-GA George A. Hinckley 121 Grant St., Bangor Maine
Column 1 Row 13 1-GS Gerard J. Kehler 56 Knell St., Roslindale Massachusetts
Column 11 Row 6 1??
Column 11 Row 9 1??
Column 11 Row 0 1???
Column 11 Row 11 1???
Column 11 Row 14 1???
Column 11 Row 4 1A??
Column 2 Row 16 1AA W. G. Heckman 119 Windermere Rd., Auburndale Massachusetts
Column 11 Row 17 1AID Ralph E. Pierce Plymouth Massachusetts
Column 11 Row 16 1AJO C. Pirro Noroton Hill, Stamford Connecticut
Column 11 Row 18 1ARE A. W. Everest 15 White Terrace, Pittsfield Massachusetts
Column 1 Row 14 1ATI Leonard C. Jensen 125 Lexington St., Providence Rhode Island
Column 1 Row 8 1AXI Walfred L. Olssen School Street, Chelmsford Massachusetts
Column 1 Row 12 1AYT T. C. Bassett R.F.D. 3, Waterbury Connecticut
Column 11 Row 15 1AYZ Anthon A. Leonard 4 Maher Ave., Greenwich Connecticut
Column 1 Row 5 1BEP Floyd E. Vanderpoel North St., Litchfield Connecticut
Column 11 Row 3 1BIE Nicholas Fiore 605 Admiral St., Providence Rhode Island
Column 11 Row 7 1BVZ Carl E. Gegenbeimer 7 Perry Ave., Attleboro Massachusetts
Column 11 Row 2 1BXL Edward P. McShane 42 Whipple St., Lewiston Maine
Column 1 Row 11 1CX Robert S. MacArthur 2 Cambridge Terrace, Cambridge Massachusetts
Column 1 Row 15 1CYW ?
Column 1 Row 9 1UW Randolph L. Maxwell Canton Massachusetts
Column 11 Row 1 1ZL C. A. Weidenhammer 33 Washington Pl., Bridgeport Connecticut
Column 10 Row 13 2?
Column 10 Row 2 2??
Column 10 Row 6 2???
Column 2 Row 14 2B0 M. A. McIntire 956 E. 22nd St., Brooklyn New York
Column 10 Row 3 2BSL Kendrick Barlow 97 Godwin Ave., Ridgewood New Jersey
Column 10 Row 12 2BUY Jos. Troiano 1719 Zerega Ave., Westchester New York
Column 10 Row 9 2CPA Joseph Battaglia 283 Millon Ave., Schenectady New York
Column 10 Row 7 2CRB Joseph Goldstein l426 -40th St., Brooklyn New York
Column 10 Row 11 2CXX H. J. Eckweiler 4 Hammond, Elmhurst New York
Column 10 Row 17 2CZR T. Stern 315 W. 79th St., New York New York
Column 5 Row 19 2DS Leroy Clark Chestnut St., Englewood New Jersey
Column 10 Row 1 2EM Chas. F. Jacobs 279 Park Place, Brooklyn New York
Column 2 Row 12 2FO W. S. Blanchard 401 Westervelt Av., N. Brighton New York
Column 10 Row 16 2GQZ Not in 1922 - 1926
Column 10 Row 10 2MS Jos. B. Hunter 910 Kilsyth Rd., Elizabeth New Jersey
Column 10 Row 18 2MU William Schick 2723 Cooper Av., Brooklyn New York
Column 10 Row 8 2XBF Public Service Electric & Gas Co. Newark New Jersey
Column 10 Row 14 2XI General Electric Co. Schenectady New York
Column 9 Row 18 3APV Bernard J. Kruger 1630 3rd St., NW., Washington District of Columbia
Column 9 Row 12 3AUV Jack Young 418 W. Miner St., West Chester Pennsylvania
Column 9 Row 8 3BOQ Alan P. Fort 414 W. Stafford St., Germantown Pennsylvania
Column 9 Row 11 3CHG E. R. Gabel 412 Meredith St., Kennett Sq. Pennsylvania
Column 9 Row 14 3JN Montague W. Barrett 30 E. Cedar Ave., Merchantville New Jersey
Column 9 Row 13 3JW Paul EisenbRow n 919 N. 3d St., Reading Pennsylvania
Column 9 Row 7 3JX Donald F. McKenzie 3801 Inbomar St., Washington District of Columbia
Column 2 Row 11 3LY Merwyn W. Gilso 22 Early St., Morristown New Jersey
Column 9 Row 10 3OQ Emerson T. Showell New Jersey Ave., Absecon New Jersey
Column 9 Row 17 3WB William E. Haggenbothan, Jr. 3301 Waldheim Ave., Baltimore Maryland
Column 1 Row 4 3WS & 3NI Gilbert C. Palphreyman 610 Ethelbert Ave. Baltimore
Column 1 Row 3 3ZB A. B. BRow n (Bliss Electrical School) Washington District of Columbia
Column 8 Row 12 4?
Column 8 Row 6 4??
Column 8 Row 9 4??
Column 8 Row 10 4??
Column 8 Row 11 4??
Column 8 Row 13 4??
Column 8 Row 15 4??
Column 8 Row 7 4FK Frank K. Shaw 524 White St., Atlanta Georgia
Column 8 Row 14 4FZ Charlie F. Walker 731 Elliott St., Atlanta Georgia
Column 8 Row 8 4JR John W. Perry 868 E. North Ave., Atlanta Georgia
Column 4 Row 19 4SA R. Bartholomew Garrochales Puerto Rico
Column 8 Row 17 4TJ J. E. Yarbrough 913 Second Ave., Gastona Georgia
Column 8 Row 16 4UX J. R. Sheppard RFD. 2, Box 226, Phoenix Park, Jacksonville Florida
Column 8 Row 18 4XE,4IU,1BCY William B. Short 679 Spring St., Atlanta Georgia
Column 7 Row 3 5???
Column 7 Row 11 5AIC G. D. Smith 5022 San Jacinto St., Dallas Texas
Column 7 Row 16 5AKN J. H. Robinson 522 Cumberland St., Dallas Texas
Column 7 Row 17 5AMH L. E. Hughes 231 Grace St., E. Lake Sta., Birmingham Alabama
Column 2 Row 9 5AN H. W. Phillips 632 E. Grand St., McAlester Oklahoma
Column 7 Row 8 5AW Wm. S. Bledsoe 2922 Alamogordo St., El Paso Texas
Column 7 Row 4 5CX N. M. College of A & M Arts State College New Mexico
Column 7 Row 12 5E?
Column 7 Row 13 5ES M. L. Goldstein 1225 Washington St., Waco Texas
Column 7 Row 2 5EZ Jas. Stinson Stevens 1517 34th Ave., Meridian Mississippi
Column 7 Row 10 5OM Kenton Edson Price 823 W. Band St., Enid Oklahoma
Column 7 Row 7 5PK Edward C. Garierv, Jr. 2010 Jackson St., Houston Texas
Column 7 Row 5 5T?
Column 7 Row 14 5TTZ Not in 1922 - 1926
Column 7 Row 18 5UK Chas. A. Freitag 8520 Forshey St., New Orleans Louisiana
Column 7 Row 9 5VI Gustav A. DeCortin 139 N. Alexander St., New Orleans Louisiana
Column 7 Row 15 5XS Tel. Elec. Co. Houston Texas
Column 6 Row 0 6??
Column 6 Row 8 6??
Column 6 Row 7 6???
Column 7 Row 0 6???
Column 8 Row 0 6???
Column 9 Row 0 6A
Column 6 Row 16 6ADT L. P. Smith 729 W. Fifth St., Reno Nevada
Column 6 Row 15 6AGK E. S. Kinney, Jr. 3000 A St., San Diego California
Column 1 Row 6 6AHQ R. A. Phillips 711 N. Gordon St., Pomona California
Column 6 Row 5 6ALV O. Zimmerman 1926 Park St., Alameda California
Column 6 Row 2 6ANO W. W. Everett, Jr. St. Helena California
Column 6 Row 18 6AWT B. Molinari 653 Union St., San Francisco California
Column 6 Row 14 6BBQ F. Mack 194 S. El Molino Ave., Pasadena California
Column 2 Row 6 6BBV F. Pollard 200 W. Badillo Sty., Corina California
Column 6 Row 13 6BJX E. Sitar 133 Milton Ave., Hollywood California
Column 6 Row 3 6BSC D. Hutton 807 Cahuenga St., Los Angeles California
Column 6 Row 9 6CL?
Column 3 Row 0 6CLP E. T. Carpenter Box 151, Yosmite Park California
Column 6 Row 4 6CNL M. Hexter 127 N. Serrano Ave., Los Angeles California
Column 2 Row 5 6CRR D. H. Jones 955 E. 2nd South, Salt Lake City Utah
Column 2 Row 2 6JB A. H. Crump 35 Magonlia Ave., Long Beach California
Column 6 Row 6 6OI LaChance Doan 1148 -9th St., Douglas Arizona
Column 2 Row 4 6QI K. W. Jeffries Rt. 1, Box 180, Monrovia California
Column 6 Row 17 6TS W. Paladini 540 Clay St., San Francisco California
Column 6 Row 1 6UA M. H. Jones Dewey Utah
Column 6 Row 10 6VC M. Umbriaco 2528 Market St., Oakland California
Column 5 Row 3 7??
Column 5 Row 18 7ABB C. E. Kick 3802 Hoyt Ave., Everett Washington
Column 5 Row 5 7AJY Not in 1922 - 1926
Column 5 Row 13 7ALD R. O. Lyons Forest Grove Oregon
Column 5 Row 9 7AY Jesse F. Ives 1942 -4th Ave., W.,Seattle Washington
Column 5 Row 11 7FD Otto Johnson 6323 -5th Ave., N.E., Seattle Washington
Column 5 Row 16 7GQ M. D. Koupal 610 W. 5th St., Eugene Oregon
Column 5 Row 17 7GR C. R. Schrotke Rothell Washington
Right Wall 7JA E. L. Crawford 1340 Court St., Salem Oregon
Column 5 Row 7 7MF Arthur Smith 261 Jefferson St., Eugene Oregon
Column 5 Row 6 7QP Howard Liebe 204 N. 22d St., Portland Oregon
Column 5 Row 8 7SY G. M. de Broekert 345 Mill St., Eugene Oregon
Column 4 Row 14 8??
Column 4 Row 6 8APT B. Moore 794 Drexel Ave., Detroit Michigan
Column 4 Row 1 8BDK W. S. Gould 2644 Ashton Rd., Cleveland Hgts. Ohio
Column 4 Row 11 8BNH W. E. Slabaugh, Jr. 17 Verplanck St., Buffalo New York
Column 4 Row 13 8BPA Stanley B. Robinson 334 -11th St., Toledo Ohio
Column 4 Row 10 8CEI Parke G. Lambert 903 Ross Ave., Wilkinsburg Pennsylvania
Column 4 Row 12 8COI Harold O. Quick 335 Coolidge Ave., Syracuse New York
Column 4 Row 15 8CUV Frank J. Ambose, Jr. 1612 -5th Ave., Arnold Pennsylvania
Column 4 Row 7 8CYT Carmen A. Myers 429 Perkins St., Akron Ohio
Column 4 Row 3 8DGG R. Lee 26 Parsons St., Binghamton New York
Column 4 Row 4 8DGP L. W. Fraser 2964 Essex Rd., Cleveland Hights Ohio
Column 4 Row 9 8ER LaVerne W. Hughes 958 Richie Ave., Lima Ohio
Column 4 Row 17 8GU Aberdeen Germain 1113 -79th St., Port Huron Michigan
Column 4 Row 5 8GVY Not in 1922 - 1926
Column 4 Row 2 8TV Arthur B. Rudenauer 1646 Elmwood Ave., Lakewood Ohio
Column 4 Row 16 8VE 8ZAH Frederic R. Westervelt, Lancaster Pennsylvania
Column 4 Row 8 8VG John E. Harvey 1323 Douglass Ave., Youngstown Ohio
Column 4 Row 18 8ZG,8GZ Windom & Byrne 1375 Franklin Ave., Columbus Ohio
Column 3 Row 13 9???
Column 3 Row 5 9AEI Rudolf A. Teschen 2319 Wells St., Milwaukee Wisconsin
Column 3 Row 8 9ALC LaFayette M. Hunter Kellog Bldg., W. 9th St., Coffeyville Kansas
Column 3 Row 15 9BCX James E. Smith 334 W. Center St., Sikeston Missouri
Column 3 Row 16 9BND Don R. Selb 3127 S. 4th Ave., Minneapolis Minnesota
Column 3 Row 6 9BWA Wesley Petersen Main and Chicago Sts., Geneseo Illinois
Column 3 Row 3 9C??
Column 3 Row 9 9CCX Raymond Pfisterer 220 Read St., Evansville Indiana
Column 3 Row 12 9CIP Frederick & Davis Weyerhaeuser 480 Gand Ave., St. Paul Minnesota
Column 3 Row 1 9CXS Cloice Wagner Main St., West McHenry Illinois
Column 3 Row 4 9DDP Carl A. Jacobson 1002 S. First Ave., Sioux Falls South Dakota
Column 3 Row 17 9DMJ Delmar W. Fowler 4940 Botanical Ave., St. Louis Missouri
Column 3 Row 2 9DWX William F. Marquardt 4740 N. Ashland Ave., Chicago Illinois
Column 3 Row 11 9EX Julius Abercrombie 819 N. 23rd St., St. Joseph Missouri
Column 3 Row 14 9MC Albert H. Cain Roodhouse Illinois
Column 3 Row 7 9VM A. Millington 100 E. Elm St., Canton Illinois
Column 3 Row 18 9ZT,9XAX Don Wallace Minneapolis Minnesota
Column 2 Row 0 ??
Column 2 Row 1 ??
Column 2 Row 3 ??
Column 2 Row 10 ??
Column 2 Row 15 ??
Column 3 Row 10 ???
Column 4 Row 0 ???
Column 4 Row 20 ???
Column 5 Row 12 ???
Column 5 Row 14 ??? 3 on one card
Column 5 Row 15 ???
Column 6 Row 11 ???
Column 6 Row 12 ???
Column 3 Row 20 ??X
Column 9 Row 19 A-4DO H. L. Hobler Rockhampton Austraila
Column 5 Row 1 Blank
Column 5 Row 2 Blank
Column 8 Row 1 Blank
Column 8 Row 2 Blank
Column 8 Row 3 Blank
Column 8 Row 4 Blank
Column 8 Row 5 Blank
Column 5 Row 0 Blurry
Column 5 Row 4 Blurry
Column 5 Row 10 Blurry
Column 5 Row 18 Blurry
Column 7 Row 1 Blurry
Column 7 Row 6 Blurry
Column 9 Row 1 Blurry
Column 9 Row 2 Blurry
Column 9 Row 3 Blurry
Column 9 Row 4 Blurry
Column 9 Row 5 Blurry
Column 9 Row 6 Blurry
Column 9 Row 9 Blurry
Column 9 Row 15 Blurry
Column 9 Row 16 Blurry
Column 10 Row 0 Blurry
Column 10 Row 4 Blurry
Column 10 Row 5 Blurry
Column 10 Row 15 Blurry
Column 11 Row 5 Blurry
Column 11 Row 8 Blurry
Column 11 Row 12 Blurry
Column 11 Row 13 Blurry
Column 3 Row 19 bS2 Belgium
Column 2 Row 8 C-3XI J. E. Hayne 303 N. Brock St., Sarnia Canada
Column 1 Row 2 C-3ZD F. L. Rutherford 111 Queen St., St. Catharines Canada
Column 2 Row 7 NFV Not in 1922 Naval Radio Station
Column 1 Row 17 NWQ Naval Station
Column 1 Row 0 Obscured
Column 1 Row 1 Obscured
Column 1 Row 18 Obscured
Column 2 Row 18 Obscured
Column 2 Row 17 Q-2MK R. V. Waters Havana Cuba
Column 2 Row 13 Q-2MX Not Listed 1927-1929 Cuba