Preview
Date
1953
Description
A photographic print of three Girl Scouts--Nancy Cargill, Noel Davidson, and Polly Jefferson--sitting and standing around a table indoors. All three wear Girl Scout uniforms, berets, and neckerchiefs. All individuals appear to be white. On the left, Nancy works on a "mammy" doll, a doll crafted to represent a racist caricature of enslaved Black women. Another similar doll, as well as a what could be a Golliwog doll are on the table as well. Noel and Polly fill a bean bag that will become a doll. Read more about the mammy caricature via the Jim Crow Museum. Read more about the Golliwog caricature via the Jim Crow Museum.
"L to R Nancy Cargill, Noel Davidson Polly Jefferson P. 8" handwritten on back. "BEAN BAGS AND DOLLS- Youngsters at the Methodist Children's Home will receive colorful bean bags and dolls from Girl Scout Troop 124 at a party at the home on December 21. | Nancy Cargill (left) puts last-minute touches on a mammy doll, while Noel Davidson (center) and Polly Jefferson stuff the bean bags. Mrs. Richard Mellinger leads the troop." clipped from newspaper and glued on back. "Property of Commonwealth Girl Scout Council of Virginia, Incorporated 1148 Hanover Green Drive Mechanicsville, Virginia 23111" stamped on back.
Corporate Name Subject
Girl Scouts of the United States of America
Topical Subject
Girl Scouts; Handicraft; Racist caricatures; Dolls
Genre
black-and-white photographs
Local Genre
photograph
Type
Still Image
Digital Format
image/jpg
Language
eng
Rights Statement URL
https://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC-NC/1.0/
Rights
This material is protected by copyright, and the copyright is held by the Commonwealth Council of the Girl Scouts of Virginia. You are permitted to use this material in any way that is permitted by copyright. Acknowledgment of Virginia Commonwealth University Libraries as a source is required.
Collection
Commonwealth Council of the Girl Scouts of Virginia
Source
Girl Scout Troop #124, 1953, Commonwealth Council of the Girl Scouts of Virginia records, M 400, Special Collections and Archives, James Branch Cabell Library, Virginia Commonwealth University.
File Name
M400_b025_f040_i001.jpg