Boy Scout Handbook, 7th Edition, Second Printing

The 7th Edition of the Boy Scout Handbook had seven printings, from September 1965 until January 1971, with 4,335,000 copies printed. The second printing was in April 1966, with 600,000 copies made. The handbook has a soft cover, off-white pages, black type on the inside of the book, and was bound using stitched signatures. Around 1971, with the later printings of the 7th edition, the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) started using a cheaper perfect binding where each page is glued directly onto the spine. Handbooks made with this method have not withstood time as well as the other books, especially with them in the possession of the scouts. 

This handbook was written by a single author, William Hillcourt, who also wrote two other editions. Previously, before 1959, each section of the handbook was written by a different expert in that field. There was a BSA editorial committee that had control over the direction and content of the books, but mistakes were frequently made and sometimes allowed content from one section to contradict the content from another section.

The cover art was painted by Dom Lupo, showing the Boy Scouts wearing their uniforms, consisting of neckerchiefs and various hats, with a campfire scene in the background. The 7th edition was the first edition of the Boy Scout Handbook to show Boy Scouts of different ethnicities, yet they only appear on the back. This edition is very similar to the 6th edition, and both are easily identifiable from older handbooks because of the full-color illustrations throughout the book. 

Boy Scouts has always been extremely popular, but during the late '60s and early '70s was when membership peaked, which meant most had this edition of the handbook. Content and design are crucial for these books because they are capable of influencing young scouts. These handbooks provide essential information and skills to help them develop into responsible and capable adults. The content ranges from first aid and outdoor survival to the spirit of being a scout. The designs within the handbook are important for making the information accessible and easy to understand, especially because the content has to do with survival.