For Computer Science Majors OnlyThis publication includes more than 700 full color illustrations showing in excess of 550 different postcard fronts. It also lists more than 900 postcards relating to the Scouting movement. All but a very small number were originally published and sold in the United States.
With the exception of three postcards, all of the images shown belong to the author's private collection. The author digitally enhanced most of the images: he removed smudge marks and creases, erased pencil marks, and repaired bent or rounded corners. Where cancellations showed on the face of the postcards, he removed or minimized them in order to reveal the underlying image. He also removed visible names and addresses that might have proven to be an intrusion on someone's privacy. In addition, the author added digital "watermarks" to many of the older images in order to facilitate the tracking of any unauthorized use. Except in one or two instances these are not visible and do not detract from the image.
Section #1 - Introduction contains general information about postcards. It describes the various types, their production methods, and features by which they may be approximately dated. It also contains a glossary of terms pertaining to postcards. It describes standards for assigning grades to the condition of a postcard, and it contains a few comments about pricing.
The author's original intention was to produce checklists of Boy Scout postcards produced during the quarter century 1910-1935, not only by the Boy Scouts of America, but by private organizations and companies as well. He wished to share these together with their images and the background information that he had accumulated over the past forty-five years of collecting. Similar, although incomplete and terribly inaccurate, information has appeared in various sources over the years.
The first half of Section #3 - Official Boy Scouts of America Postcards, together with Section #4 - Privately Printed Cards ( not official B.S.A. ), fully accomplish the original goal and provide information on approximately 320 different cards with 180 distinguishable images. Printing out copies of the index page and the history for each series will provide portable checklists and background information for those who wish it. The author expanded Section #3 to provide information on cards produced by the B.S.A. through 1968 as well as to give a sampling (by no means complete lists) of national sites - Schiff - Philmont - and the National Headquarters when it was located in New Jersey.
Since Dan Beard's picture, which was used on several of the B.S.A. postcards, usually goes unrecognized, and since there are many beautiful postcards that show Baden-Powell, the author decided to add Section #2 - The Founders of the Scouting Movement to introduce the viewer to these cards as well. Ernest Thompson Seton's estate in Cos Cob, Connecticut, is also included. Here he invited Native Americans to teach Indian Lore at an experimental summer camp for The Woodcraft Indians. This was an organization for boys that he merged into the Boy Scouts of America in 1910.
To partially satisfy any collectors who may have a special interest in Jamboree postcards, the author added Section #6 - Jamborees. The first B.S.A. National Jamboree, however, was not scheduled until 1935, so Jamboree items fall outside the original scope of this work. As a result the author has not yet made any effort to create complete checklists of Jamboree postcards. Postcards from World Jamborees are also included in this section, with special emphasis on participation by Boy Scouts from the United States and Baden-Powell's presence. One Australian set is included because it gives a colorful summary of most of the World Jamborees. This section also seemed to be the logical place for cards that documented Scout participation at other events such as World Fairs and expositions.
It is probably impossible to list all local Boy Scout postcards that were published before 1935. Occasionally people would send them to out-of-state friends and relatives, but beyond that they originally generated only local interest. Even so, there are many such cards, as well as unpublished photographic postcards, that document the early growth of Scouting. Section #5 - Council and Locally Issued Cards will introduce the viewer to these cards.
This section also contains camp postcards. The 1920 camp inventory showed Scouts camping in more than 1500 camps. By 1935 there were more than 550 "permanent" council-owned summer camps. The author chose cards from a variety of states and wherever possible used cards that showed Scouts involved in activities rather than empty buildings or scenery. If demand warrants it, Section #5 can be expanded to accommodate cards from additional states and territories.
The author gave four camps special treatment. Camp Owasippe in Michigan (owned by the Chicago Council) and Camp Treasure Island in New Jersey (owned by the Philadelphia Council) were two of the earliest council-owned camps in the country. Kanohwahke Lakes in New York, and later the Ten Mile River Camps, served needs of the New York Councils. Each of these was located near one of the nation's most densely populated regions and attracted large numbers of campers. As a result the United States Postal Service authorized Post Offices within each of the four camps, and postcards exist with official U.S. postmarks that coincide with the names of the camps. The history section for each of these camps gives a listing of the various postal markings that the author has found. This is the first time that most of this information has appeared in print.
Section #7 - Topics is a topical index to many - by no means all - of the postcards. Here is a way to quickly find postcards on this disk that show Totem Poles, Order of The Arrow, Advertising, or Life Saving, to cite a few examples. Warning: some cards that seemed to fit in no other category may only be found under a topic. For example, Scout Spirit - A Scout is Helpful contains a fabulous 1920 card that shows U.S. Scouts helping out in war devastated France.
Section #8 - Artist Signed Postcards has been included for serious postcard collectors, some of whom concentrate on the works of a single well known artist. Much of the fine art work that appears on Boy Scout postcards is European in origin, and there are beautiful postcards by artists from England, France, Hungary, Russia, Italy, and other countries, that are just not appropriate for the current work. Individuals who are just beginning to look at Boy Scout postcards ought to familiarize themselves with the artists' names and keep an eye out for them.
Section #9 - Photographic Post Cards will give the reader a sample of the unidentified real photos that exist. Identified real photos are located in an appropriate section or topic. It is important to understand that since anyone could (and frequently did) take a roll of film to a camera store and have the pictures developed as postcards, the number of different photographic postcards exceeded the number of different printed postcards. Although there was a wider variety of real photos, any specific unpublished photo is far more rare today than most of the mass produced cards. The relatively abundant supply of photographic postcards places a premium on identified cards and those that are "interesting." This section does not include portraits of individuals which often show changing uniform styles and badges. These are located under the topic Portraits.
Section #10 - Bonus is intended to be a pleasant surprise.