How do I replace all hymnals

[sbradshaw]

As of September 2015, "there are no plans at this time for a new edition":
https://www.lds.org/ensign/2015/09/the- ... 0?lang=eng

Things can change pretty quickly if needed in a Church led by revelation, but I wouldn't expect a new English hymnbook for at least a few more years.

The 1948 hymnbook had a significant revision (affecting about 30 hymns) in 1950, then there was a small revision in 1960 (two hymns were added). Also, there were some small font changes on the cover and inside, and they continually updated the first presidency's names in the front, but the same overall design was maintained from 1948 to 1985. The later editions stopped printing the edition year, but you can use the first presidency names to estimate. For example, an original 1948 edition should have George Albert Smith's name in the front.

What I'm still trying to figure out (if anyone knows let me know!) is if the different colors – blue, red, and brown – have any significance. Were the different colors intended for different audiences (church, choir, home), printed at different presses, or released in different years? Or were they just options that could be chosen by whoever was buying hymnbooks?