The American Boy's Handy Book is a handbook

Handbook

A handbook is a type of reference work, or other collection of instructions, that is intended to provide ready reference .A handbook is sometimes referred to as a vade mecum or pocket reference that is intended to be carried at all times.Handbooks may deal with any topic, and are generally...

 of activities intended for boys, written by a founder of the Boy Scouts of America

Boy Scouts of America

The Boy Scouts of America is one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with over 4.5 million youth members in its age-related divisions...

, Daniel Carter Beard

Daniel Carter Beard

Daniel Carter "Uncle Dan" Beard was an American illustrator, author, youth leader, and social reformer who founded the Sons of Daniel Boone in 1905, which Beard later merged with the Boy Scouts of America .-Early life:...

. It is divided into season

Season

A season is a division of the year, marked by changes in weather, ecology, and hours of daylight.Seasons result from the yearly revolution of the Earth around the Sun and the tilt of the Earth's axis relative to the plane of revolution...

al sections, with activities appropriate for each season in their respective sections. Originally published in New York City in 1882 with 254 black-and-white figures and 63 illustrations.

Background

This book for American boys in the late 19th century is filled with black & white illustrations and schematics. It gives instruction and advice on subjects ranging from kites, fishing, knots, telescopes, tents, soap bubbles, animals, snowball warfare, puppets, kaleidoscopes, whirligigs, costumes, decoys and fireworks.

Further reading

• Beard, Daniel Carter [1890] (1995). The American Boy's Handy Book. Originally published: New York, Scribner. This edition: Lincoln, Massachusetts, David Godine. ISBN 0-87923-449-0

External links

• The American Boy's Handy Book at inquiry.net