Boys’ Life Archives
Scout Life magazine has partnered with Google Books to archive more than 100 years of Boys’ Life magazine. You can view nearly every issue from March 1911 to December 2012 at the following links:
- 1911-1919 issues
- 1920-1929 issues
- 1930-1939 issues
- 1940-1949 issues
- 1950-1959 issues
- 1960-1969 issues
- 1970-1979 issues
- 1980-1989 issues
- 1990-1999 issues
- 2000-2009 issues
- 2010-2012 issues
Once you find the issue you’d like to read, just click on the “Preview this magazine” link. You can also search within a particular issue or across all issues.
What About Issues Since 2012?
Many articles published since 2012 are available here on the Scout Life website. You can also find recent issues of the magazine on the Scout Life app.
Boy’s Life is free on google books.
Great feature. It made me realize how often the covers in the past featured Scouts in Field Uniform compared to today’s covers, and how much those past covers make memorable records of the Scouting program, worthy of being framed and hung in every Scout Hut.
Thanks for making this resource available.
Looking for the last comic before pedro was changed in this decade. Anyone know what issue that would be?
Thanks
Great resource! Do you know when you will be putting up 2013-2018?
1929 is their with me
One magazine that has not gone downhill with age…keep up the good work boys life!
What a great feature! Thank you!
I’m looking for a copy of the August 1929 magazine. I am a descendant of G. Barrett Rich, mentioned in the article, who would be the Honorary American Camp Chief at the World Jamboree.
Thanks for your help!
I love this page in large part because it allows me to see the endings and beginnings of cartoon series where I missed some of the B.L. issues during the periods when the series ran.
Has anyone come across ads by Imagineering for monster masks you could build? They weren’t wearable but the looked awesome! Thanks!
Looking for October 1929 issue. Please if anyone could help me out.
Cool!!!!!!!
These covers bring back so many memories. Really cool!
Is there any way to print these articles?? Please help.
Are the Boys Life magazines from 1986,87 and 88 collectible?
take a screen shot of each page.You will probably want to zoom in a bit. Pull up your screen shots, then hit control and P at the same time
yes i think maybe
is there a way to request the actual magazine or do you just have to print the cover/articles from this site??
got it
Looking for a copy of Jan 1975 anyone out there have one? The reason I’m looking for it is because my picture is in it on page 37. I was one of the Scouts that was in the Brown Sea Dbl Two week long camp at John Zink Scout Ranch in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Thanks from a Eagle Scout!
I have it
I have it
Need a Boy’s Life for September 1930, of page: cover, 24 and 25.
I’m restoring my dad’s old Marlin 39a for his 70th birthday and he said he read about it and was inspired to buy it because of Boys Life Magazine. I found the ad for his gun in the May 1959 edition. Does anyone know how to either order this magazine or get a printable file/version of it?
Do you need the full magazine or just the ad?
Every time I read about building snow caves(domes) there is always some added bit that makes it more comfortable,likely to lead to rescue and easier to build.
I do not remember Norman Rockwell dsigning any covers for Boy”s Life. He did many covers for LIFE Magazine
Why aren’t any of the covers that Norman Rockwell designed in his museum?
Nope.
Rockwell did illustrations for Saturday Evening Post
Life covers were photography.
Maybe it is my imagination, but I thought Boy’s Life had an article about the JFK 50 mile event in Maryland some time back in the ’60’s. Anyone know if there was such an article? Wanted to hike it as a Scout and next month will finally get my chance!
I am trying to locate an issue of Boy’s Life with a lead story titled ‘Everything you need to know about Life’. I believe it was issued in 2014, but could be a little older than that. Is anyone familiar with it? Is it on-line?
looking for 1053 sept issue with Elmer the Worm–can anyone help me
How do I get to the 2010 section of the BL magazines?
I am looking for the Dec 1983 Boys Life magazine. Can anyone help me out?
they have it. the only thing is it is just blank
i have 1960’s
Dude! Find it up top! Click on the 1980 decade finder or search December 1983 on the search thing.
Is it possible to get a copy of the June, 1997 issue of Boy’s Life?
I was a boy scout back in the 60’s and am looking for a story called “Flight of the Valkyrie”
These archives of Boy’s Life magazine are really great in understanding United States History. The dirigible known as “the Hindenburg” was a “passenger airship” or “blimp” which traveled across the Atlantic Ocean from Frankfurt, Germany and was bound to land at Lakehurst, New Jersey. In May, 1937, the hydrogen filled dirigible was attempting to land at Lakehurst, New Jersey when the hydrogen filled dirigible had an accident and exploded into flames in its attempting to land at Lakehurst, New Jersey.
These archives of Boy’s Life magazine are really great in understanding United States History. “Doppler” Weather Radar was invented in 1964 and showed its usefulness as a tool in weather forecasting and in use in the field of meteorology in May, 1973. By 1975 or 1976, many of the television weather forecasters and television broadcast meteorologists were using “Doppler” Weather radar images in describing the weather forecast for a particular weather update or weather forecast television broadcast.
These archives of Boy’s Life magazine are really great in understanding United States History. Charles A. Lindbergh (1902 to 1974) was the first person to solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean by traveling from Garden City, New York (Long Island, New York) to Paris, France in May, 1927. He made a solo flight by airplane in an airplane that contained a Wright Whirlwind single propeller airplane engine and traveled 3,600 miles across the Atlantic Ocean in about thirty-three and one-half hours (33 1/2 hour airplane flight by a single propeller airplane). The name of his airplane was called “The Spirit of Saint Louis”. A Boeing 747 Jumbo Jet Airplane (using airplane jet engines) usually travel the 3,600 miles from New York, New York to Paris, France in about seven (7 hours) hours to eight (8 hours) hours. The British Aerospace Concorde Supersonic Passenger Airplane would travel the 3,600 miles in about three and one-half (3 1/2 hours) hours.
I have asked 2 times about getting copies of the June 1965 issue of Boy’s Life. I must have B/O as nobody wants to let me know if is possible. Is It???
We don’t have any copies available for sale, but you might be able to find them on ebay. Good luck!
I may have that issue if you’re still looking.
I have a very good copy if you are still in need of it
As a Boy Scout in the1960s our troop had a light canvas floor less tent called an explorer tent. They were fairly light (for a canvas tent) and roomy. I’ve tried to find them online but it seems no one has a clue what I’m talking about. Does anyone know what I’m looking for and if there is a place I can still get this style of tent ? This tent had a single center pole with a short ridge pole.
I think that you might find a set of plans for this tent in “Popular Mechanics” magazine in the late 1940s or early 1950s. The article was about 2 pages and reprinted in “Popular Mechanics” “Boy Mechanic Books”.
Just a short note, The Explorer Tent was designed with a floor for use in Alaskan Mosquito country. Do a Google Image search and you find that “TentSmiths” makes a fair version of the Explorer Tent.
I sold cards for the Wallace Brown greeting card company (All-occassion greeting cards) and earned a BB gun
I am so glad I found this. In an issue for medal of heroism. Been looking for it for so many years…Thank YOu
Where is the January 1912 issue?
There isn’t any. Mwa-ha-ha-ha-ha!
Pay attention to the volume number and issue number. Apparently there was a January 1912 issue, but no one can find a copy of it. I wonder what it would be worth? About the same value as the video tape of Super Bowl I, I would think.
It doesn’t get better than reading Green Bar Bill’s first column in the October ’32 issue
MURDER MYSTERY
Way Back in the 50’s I would look forward to my Boy’s Life magazine and I would read it over and over until the next arrived. I feel I learned a great deal about how to interact with people from the articles in Boy’s Life. In the famous words of Bob Hope, “Thanks for the memories”.
Is this image supposed to be of John Rueger Explorer Base formerly of Sheepshead Bay, NY?
Amazing young man willing to change his life to change the world.
In the June 2010 issue, they talked about WATER POWERED CLOCKS! That is SO COOL!!!
I LOVE the fishing section in July 1990!!!!!!
My son and i just read a artical about his Grandfather as an explorer scout in 1955. What a great resource.
I guess they don’t call him “Spike” Harris for nothing (See Sep 1990)!
Working fine for me
Really like Dec 1989
Boy scouts .best scouts organization in the world.
I’d like a print copy of the July 1963 article on the Persian war (p 42) Can you help?
It was between 69 and 73.