ULTRA-RARE COMPLETE FOUNDATIONAL PIECE OF AMERICAN HISTORY
Up for sale is an incredibly scarce, 100% original foundational lot from the absolute birth of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) in 1910. This lot features the complete chronological run of the first five organizational "Scouting for Boys" bulletins alongside the extremely rare YMCA Press promotional handbook prospectus.
All pieces originate from the foundational 124 East 28th Street, New York City headquarters where the BSA shared space with the international YMCA office during their inaugural months.
This lot has been meticulously verified authentic via era-specific paper stock and specific diagnostic watermarks:
• BULLETIN NO. 1 ("Scouting for Boys" - 1910): Features the authentic, highly crisp "Boy Scout Shield" watermark embedded into the paper chain lines. Original red and black scout graphics.
• BULLETIN NO. 2 ("Hints for Local Councils or Committees" - 1910): Features the authentic "Boy Scout Shield" watermark embedded into the paper stock. Minimalist double-border design.
• BULLETIN NO. 3 ("A Model Scout Camp" - 1910): Features the authentic "Boy Scout Shield" watermark embedded into the paper stock. Distinctive geometric blue frame border.
• BULLETIN NO. 4 ("Formation of Patrols and Troops" - 1910): Features the authentic "Boy Scout Shield" watermark embedded into the paper stock. Blue block corners frame.
• BULLETIN NO. 5 ("The Boy Scout Scheme: What it is! What it is not!" - 1910): Period-accurate paper anomaly featuring the correct trade-stock "Suede D" watermark. Red and black text with center floral vignette.
• YMCA PRESS PROSPECTUS FLYER ("A Handbook of Woodcraft, Scouting, and Life-craft" by Seton & Baden-Powell): Period-accurate unwatermarked vintage leaflet paper, exactly as issued by the Y.M.C.A. Press for high-volume public marketing handouts. Overprinted with the bright red 124 East 28th St Y.M.C.A. bottom stamp.
CONDITION NOTES:
Excellent museum-quality condition for ephemera over a century old. Covers are bright, typography is crisp, and pages remain beautifully intact. Please see high-resolution photos to view the condition of the edges and the back-lit visibility of the historical watermarks.
Finding these individual items is an absolute rarity; finding all five consecutive bulletins together with the verified paper transitions and the corresponding YMCA prospectus is an irreplaceable holy grail for advanced Scouting historians and premium American paper collectors.
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