Girl Scout Collectors’ Guide: A History of Uniforms, Insignia, Publications, And Memorabilia

In more than nine decades of Girl Scouting, a vast popular and material culture has given rise to a wealth of Girl Scout history collections. More than an identification guide to uniforms, insignia, and other Girl Scout objects, this work also documents when changes occurred and why new items were introduced. Placing these objects in context, this essential guide provides a discerning look at the history and development of the Girl Scout Movement in the United States. Scholars and aficionados of Girl Scout history, costume history, women’s studies, popular culture, and dress will welcome this indispensable and definitive resource. This new, expanded edition, with hundreds of illustrations, photographs, and tables, is indisputably the go-to source for information on all Girl Scout uniforms, insignia, awards, and handbooks, as well as dolls, postcards, posters, calendars, and more--from the founding of the Girl Scouts in 1912 through the present day. ＂An invaluable resource to Girl Scout councils managing a history collection. And, beyond that . . . an informative and intriguing glimpse . . . into the evolution of a Movement that . . . today is the world’s preeminent organization dedicated solely to girls.＂ --Cynthia B. Thompson, chair, National Board of Directors, and Kathy Cloninger, national chief executive officer, GSUSA ＂An indispensable reference for collectors; a fascinating resource for anyone interested in Girl Scouting, this comprehensive guide to Girl Scout memorabilia is firmly grounded in the history of the Girl Scouts of the United States. Mary Degenhardt and Judith Kirsch show us what Girl Scouts wore and read, and explain how changes in uniforms, insignia, and publications reflect the evolution of Girl Scout programs and the expansion of opportunities for American girls. Reading this book is like walking through a fine museum where material culture brings the past to life.＂ --Anastatia Sims, author of Negotiating Boundaries of Southern Womanhood

Mary Degenhardt and Judith Kirsch, lifelong Girl Scouts, compiled the original Girl Scout Collector s Guide in 1987. Degenhardt, now an archivist with the National Historic Preservation Center, GSUSA, and Kirsch, a researcher at the Benson Ford Research Center in Dearborn, Michigan, devoted two years of concentrated effort to this new and expanded edition.＂