Mission

The Boy Scout Stuff Virtual Museum seeks to educate the Scouting public, through memorabilia, about the history and culture of Boy Scouting in America during the movement's first decade (1910-1919), as well as to archive and preserve images of "boy scout stuff" from this period to serve as a resource for further research.

Introduction

This museum is intended as a resource for collectors and other members of the Scouting public who are interested in learning more about the origins of Boy Scouting in America. As a Boy Scout, I knew nothing about the history of the Boy Scouts of America, but always wondered how long boys like myself had been involved, and how the organization had changed over the years. In college, I began researching the organization's history as a hobby, and also began actively collecting early Boy Scout memorabilia. I benefited greately from the work of other collectors and researches, and owe most of what I know to the prior work of a few dedicated individuals - especially Mitch Ries, whom I know only casually, but who has been extremely kind and helpful to me over the years when I have called on him from time to time. I have long wished for a convenient place to go to view early Boy Scout memorabilia, and finally decided to create an on-line museum for those who would like to be able to view early items but do not have access to all of the memorabilia. I hope, especially, that some of the Scouts out there who admire and want to learn more about some of the very early items, but do not have time to visit a museum in person, will benefit from being able to see some of the earliest Boy Scout memorabilia assembled here. It is also my hope that collectors of early Boy Scout memorabilia will use this as a resource to learn about and plan future acquisitions, and to help identify items they may already have in their collection.

To the best of my knowledge every item pictured was available during the 1910s. This is not to say that a certain item was not also sold in 1920, or even 1925. That being said, that vast majority of the items in this museum are designs that were originally created and mostly sold during the 1910s. If I have made a mistake and included an item that is not from the 1910s, or if I have improperly identified something, or even if you have details that you would like me to add, please do not hesitate to let me know.

The Collection

I have tried to represent as much of the diversity of Boy Scout memorabilia from the 1910s as possible, and I expect to add many more items in the near future. There is so much memorabilia from the 1910s that a truly complete collection is impossible, but it is my hope to be able to present many of the most significant items from this decade.

The Photos

Some of the items on display in the museum are from my collection, but most are not. The photos are from a variety of sources, including other collectors and on-line auction sites, and as a result are not of uniform quality. I apologize for this, but I know of no practical way around it. I have edited and enhanced the photos to the best of my ability. Whenever I find a higher quality photograph, I will replace a poorer one on this site.

As I continue to expand the museum's collections, I would like to give collectors the opportunity to show off their best 1910s boy scout stuff to other visitors. If you are the first one to send me a photo of a 1910s item in your collection not already on exhibit in the museum, I will give you credit by indicating that the item is "from the collection of ...." on the page featuring your item. If you have a photo you would like to send me, please contact me at the address below and I will send you instructions.

About Me

My name is Dan Jabe, I am twenty-six years old, and am currently an attorney in Columbus, Ohio. I moved to Ohio in September of 2002. I studied English literature and history at the University of Michigan (graduating in 1998) and then law at Harvard University (graduating in 2001). As a student, I have not had the opportunity to travel to the TORs to meet many collectors, and have been collecting, mostly, in isolation. I started combing antique shops for Boy Scout memorabilia eight years ago. My collection started with handbooks, and then expanded to memorabilia from the 1930s. I decided to focus exclusively on Boy Scouting in the 1910s approximately five years ago and that era is now my sole collecting interest, although I still enjoy learning about items from the 1920s and 1930s.

I joined the Boy Scouts of America as a Tiger Cub, and went all the way through the various programs until reaching the rank of Eagle Scout in 1993. At the time, I lived in Michigan and was a member of the Detroit Area Council. I was active in Scouting until I went away to college in 1994. I began actively collecting Boy Scout memorabilia right after I became an Eagle Scout in 1993.

Since then, I have devoted a great deal of time to learning more about the history of the Boy Scouts. I wrote my undergraduate thesis on the Boy Scouts of America in the 1910s, a copy of which can be found on the site. I received "Highest Honors" and an award for my thesis from the History Department at the University of Michigan. I also wrote a small article for "Scout Memorabilia" in 1998 about the Michigan Forest Scouts, a group whose handbook I stumbled upon in a library in Michigan one day when doing research for my thesis. I hope, however, that this website will prove the most useful of my small contributions to Scouting.

Contact Me

Click On the Scout Signaling "BSA" to Return to www.BoyScoutStuff.com