Who Were They?

Eight early Girl Scouts pause for lunch in front of a Model T Ford.

The Model T was available between 1908-1927 in relatively the same shape and fashion though the entire run. There were slight variations to the hood shape as the car was redesigned every few years, but the name Model T remained unchanged. Ford did not have a concept of model years or versions, so they are all called the Model T, whether the car is from the beginning or the end of the run. Interesting. In early years, you could order your car in green, blue, red or gray. By 1914 however, all cars were black because black paint was cheaper than the other colors. This model looks like it might be from the 1920s, which dovetails nicely with the Girl Scouts’ clothing.

Girl Scouts were founded in America in 1912 by Juliette Gordon Low. She was a pioneer for her time, in that she enjoyed not only domestic life, but also outdoor activities and believed that girls should have confidence and life skills, play sports and go camping. I found a photograph in the Girl Scout Collectors Guide, 2nd Edition, showing a girl wearing a virtually identical uniform to these girls. That photo was dated 1920. The blouse was white, the skirt probably khaki or dark blue, the tie was worn under the wide collar, and the hat was floppy. The girl second from the right most closely matches the girl I found in the book. I also found reference to the bloomer type shorts these girls were wearing, and they were to only be worn in private or at a camp out, suggesting these girls were on their way to or from an outing.

I’ll be regaling you with vintage photos and scans of vintage Girl Scout calendars in the coming month. My Brownie troop is hosting a fashion show of vintage uniforms covering 93 years of Girl Scout fashion, all leading up to Juliette Low’s birthday on October 31st. I hope you will check back and enjoy the wonderful images I have been procuring!