Scoutoons

(Lawrence Co., New York)

The 1930s saw a need for inexpensive postcards for summer camps. This was brought about by the combination of the "great depression", a serious decline in the postcard industry, and the rapid growth of summer camping.  Reacting to this market, the Lawrence company of New York began publishing several series of cheap quality camp postcards.  The first ("A" series) seems to have been originally targeted specifically at Boy Scout Camps.

Scoutoons

It was produced under the trademark "Scoutoons," and the cards featured boys wearing stylized uniforms and referred to Scouting terms.  The later series repeated the same themes, but without uniforms or any Scouting-specific references the cards took on a generic appearance and, presumably, appealed to a wider audience.  The Lawrence Company also began using a generic designation, "Camptoons."

Camptoons

Cards from each of the series can be found with each of the backs.  The cards were available from the mid 1930s at least until the early 1940s.  They appear to be the direct forerunner of the generic Boy Scout Camp postcards of 1947.  The same sentiments and themes can be recognized in each.