Norman Rockwell
Boy Scouts Illustrations
1915 Through 1935

Enjoy these Norman Rockwell Boy Scouts illustrations. Having collected Rockwell pictures for years, the selection is broad...
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September 1913 cover of Boys' Life by Norman Rockwell entitled Scout at Ship's Wheel

Boy's Life cover
September 1913
Scout at Ship's Wheel

These are some of my favorites.

Notice the progression of his work. While Rockwell was quite good in 1913, he had obviously mastered his craft by 1935.

The first Norman Rockwell Boy's Life cover appeared in September 1913.

Be sure to notice the signature "Norman P. Rockwell" on the 1915 Boy's Life cover. He never liked the "P". His middle name, Perceval, was a family name on his mother's side. He quit signing his illustrations "Norman P. Rockwell" soon after this work.

1918 Straight Talk From The Scoutmaster published in Red Cross Magazine

Red Cross Magazine
Straight Talk From The Scoutmaster
1918

1918 The Daily Good Turn published in Red Cross Magazine

Red Cross Magazine
The Daily Good Turn
1918

1918 The Good Scout published in Red Cross Magazine

Red Cross Magazine
The Good Scout
1918

These Red Cross magazine illustrations were commissioned by the Red Cross in 1918.

Norman Rockwell had just been discharged from the Navy in 1918 when these illustrations were commissioned.

The Boy Scouts had been very helpful to the Red Cross during World War One. The Red Cross used these pictures to honor the Boy Scouts for their contributions.

Norman Rockwell illustrations on other themes also appeared in other editions of Red Cross magazine.

These same Red Cross illustrations later appeared in Boy Scout calendars during the 1920's.

Boy's Life cover
August 1915

A Good Turn
1926

A Scout is Kind
1927

Rockwell painted a new Boy scout illustration every year from 1926 to 1965. He only missed two years in that time span, 1928 and 1930.

Each of these years, Brown and Bigelow, the calendar company, commissioned Rockwell to paint a new illustration for their Boy Scout calendar. After publication of the calendar, Brown and Bigelow donated the illustration and all rights to it to the Boy Scouts of Americas. Then, BSA published the painting on the cover of Boys Life, the Boy Scout magazine.