The Girl Scout history community has lost a valued member, who leaves a tremendous legacy–the incredible Vintage Girl Scout Online Museum.
Nancy Fedor White passed away on May 31, 2023.
Nancy was the creator and curator of the online museum. She kept a low profile, preferring to focus on her work.
Other Girl Scout historians digitized GSUSA equipment catalogs, but researchers still must hunt through dozens of catalogs to find the actual year a particular uniform or piece of memorabilia was issued.
Nancy’s innovation was to literally cut up the catalogs and rearrange items by theme. For example:
Imagine you find this camera in an attic or yard sale. How old is it?
Instead of a long search of individual equipment catalogs, users can start with the “Toys, Hobbies, and Collectibles” section of the Online Museum, which links to “Girl Scout Cameras.” Voila! There it is, complete with the accompanying box, catalog description, and price ($4.95). This camera is part of a kit sold in 1960.
Some categories are unique. This is perhaps the only source for Girl Scout memorials, graves, makeup, license plates, and bus and trolley passes.
It is too early to tactfully discuss the future of the Online Museum, including future updates. It is not and has never been associated with GSUSA, and I cannot imagine their agreeing to host it. For now the virtual museum remains online, accessible to anyone.
Please visit the museum sometime, admission is free! But be warned: you can spend hours exploring the many sections of the site!
© 2023 Ann Robertson, writer, editor, Girl Scout historian
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