Callbook and Callsign FAQ
A9b: The first publication that can be considered an amateur call book is probably a pamphlet called the Wireless Blue Book, published in May 1909. It was later reprinted by Hugo Gernsback and Radio-Electronics magazine in 1952--I have a photocopy of that reprint. Most of the 16 pages in the booklet list shore stations and ships, but the last 1-1/2 pages list 89 amateur radio stations. These were the days when amateurs made up their own callsigns. Most had two or three letters, often their initials, and none had any numerals. But Ralph Jeffers of Rochester NY was listed as J, and Otto Curtis, also of Rochester, was Q. The book listed name, town, wavelength, and "Spark length of induction coil."
By 1914, the Wireless Blue Book had grown, and there were many pages of amateur listings. This book doesn't list the town, or even the state, for each station, and the wavelength and spark information is also gone. But this book lists callsigns assigned by the US government, which began assigning calls in 1912. These were of the 0x2 variety--a numeral followed by two letters. (The W prefix did not come into use until 1928. See Q8.) There is also a section that lists calls assigned by the Wireless Association of America, which published the book. These were of the letter-only type, and probably weren't used much after this date.
The US Department of Commerce published amateur radio callbooks, annually on 30 June or 1 July. I have copies from 1913, 1916, 1922, 1928, 1930, and 1931. The 1913 issue was published only nine months after the federal government began issuing licenses, so this is likely the initial issue. These are very nicely done books, with full addresses. Some have cross-references by state and town (1922) or by name (1930). Interestingly, these were the last listings by name or address that were published (to my knowledge) for over 50 years. The last government callbook was published in the early 1930s.
During the 1920s, there was at least one other company that published a callbook, the Consolidated Radio Company of New York. I have the Jan 1921 and May 1922 issues--the 1922 is listed as the 4th edition. This was another book that listed everything radio--amateur, ship, shore, and something called "radiophone broadcasting stations." I don't know much more about this series, as these are the only ones I've seen.
Finally, in the 1980s, the Flying Horse had a little competition, at least for a few years. The Buckmaster company published a series of books in 1982, but at least two of these were different. There was a "standard" callbook, but they also published a Name Index and a Geographical Index. The former was an alphabetical listing of all US hams by name, and the latter listed alphabetically by state/city/street. These were the first books that had these types of listings since the US government books in the 20s and 30s. They didn't last long--I have only seen them from that one year.
The following year the ARRL published a standard callbook, listing by callsign. It was published, for at least two years, and the second year (1984-5) included separate volumes for Name and Geographic Indexes, like the Buckmaster books a few years earlier. The ARRL books weren't published for long either. Perhaps the amateur community felt an allegiance to the Flying Horse books, and weren't willing to change.
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