Our unmissable new archive exhibition
Can’t make it to London? Enjoy a look at the highlights below.
Agnes Baden-Powell’s handwritten letter. Beautiful century-old photos. Iconic 90s uniform. Discover all this and much more at our new historical archive exhibition at HQ, showcasing Girlguiding’s pioneering spirit through the ages.
We’ve been by girls’ sides for more than 100 years. And we’ve collected so many fascinating treasures in our archive along the way. Our new exhibition is your chance to enjoy some of the rare artefacts, uniforms, photographs, stories and papers from our past.
The exhibition focuses on showcasing the pioneering spirit that’s always been at the heart of Girlguiding. Here you’ll get to see the incredible badges girls could work towards in the 1910s (think astronomer and electrician!). Plus, items that show how we were actively open to disabled girls from the very beginning. Our archives tell the story of how we’ve been trailblazers for girls for over a century.
'It’s amazing how just a small number of items can really tell a powerful story about our pioneering past,’ says Hannah Jenkinson, Girlguiding’s archivist, who put the exhibition together.
‘This is our first opportunity in a long time for us to share our incredible heritage in an open space. I’m so excited for members and the wider community to see it.’
Visit our exhibition
The exhibition opened in May at Girlguiding HQ on Buckingham Palace Road in London. It’s free, open Monday to Saturday from 9am to 5pm and there’s no need to book. We’re planning to make it a permanent fixture at HQ, with the items on display changing every 6 months or so.
‘The exhibition is a great opportunity for us to inspire and engage members and girls and reinforce just how pioneering an organisation we are,’ says Hannah. ‘We have so much wonderful material to choose from, it was a challenge to decide what to display. We’re looking forward to future refreshes and the opportunity to share even more,’ says Hannah.
Explore the exhibition
So, what's in the exhibition? Below are 5 highlights. We hope they’ll give you a taste of what’s in store when you visit, or the chance to enjoy the exhibition if you can’t make it in person.
A glimpse into guiding life in the 1910s and 1920s
In the early 20th century, women’s and girls’ roles were often confined to the home. Girlguiding was pioneering in giving girls the freedom to develop new skills and embrace adventure. Our display of striking photographs and logbooks captures the magic of guiding at the time.
Logbooks were a bit like scrapbooks where girls recorded their proudest guiding achievements. A logbook on display shows how girls in one unit earned 23 different badges in a year, from fire brigade to landworker and swimmer. The pages are also filled with drawings of knots and patrol birds.
We have a special set of photos of life at camp in the 1920s too. ‘These photos are my favourite item in the exhibition,’ says our archivist Hannah. ‘They capture incredibly happy moments of fun and friendship. Despite being over a century old, they aren’t too different to what girls do at camp today.’
Audrey making her voice heard over 100 years ago
Girlguiding has been pioneering in giving girls a voice since the very start. In 1910, a young girl called Audrey Lloyd from Norwich, who is believed to have been 15 or 16 at the time, wrote to Agnes Baden-Powell – the first leader of the guiding movement – with her thoughts on the experience so far.
A collection of pioneering early badges
Agnes Baden-Powell’s love of adventure and exciting hobbies inspired some of our very first badges so girls could do a wide range of trailblazing activities. From astronomer and electrician, gymnast to artist, our badges gave girls the chance to learn new skills unavailable to them anywhere else.
At our exhibition you’ll see Peggy Dixon’s badge collection. Her carefully stitched badge display shows she became a Brownie in 1918, a Guide in 1923, a Ranger in 1928, and a leader in 1930. She earned astronomy and electrician badges, among many others.
A look at our revolutionary extension section for disabled girls
Since the beginning, disabled members have been included in guiding.
The first group of D/deaf or those with hearing loss and nonverbal Guides was formed at Royal Cross School in Preston in 1910, around the same time Girlguiding was founded. Over the next few decades units for disabled girls grew throughout the country, reaching 424 units by 1930.
In 1919, these units officially became Girlguiding’s ‘extension’ section. The name came from the section ‘extending’ guiding into institutions and to girls that most other units didn’t reach.
Today we don’t have a separate Girlguiding section for disabled girls. We focus instead on making sure all parts of guiding are accessible to everyone.
Read more about how we include everyone in guiding.
Our exhibition explores the extension section, with displays including an 1930s uniform belonging to an extension section Guide, plus a collection of books and resources for girls and leaders of the section.
A time machine back to our pioneering 90s uniform
Designed by legendary British designer Jeff Banks, we debuted a bold new uniform in 1990. It’s one of the most iconic looks from our 100+ year history, but do you know the story behind it?
In the late 1980s we knew we wanted a fresh look for our uniform - something that felt modern, comfortable, and true to the spirit of guiding. So, when designer Jeff Banks took on the challenge, he didn’t start with fabric or sketches. In a trailblazing move, he started by listening.
In 1987, a questionnaire in Guiding magazine invited members to share their views. Leaders, parents, carers and girls all had their say. Over 10,000 replies poured in. It took 6 months to go through all the suggestions.
From these voices, a list of 200 different ideas emerged. Jeff worked closely with Girlguiding to shape them into a design that felt right – relaxed, practical, and full of energy. 'I wanted them to look spirited, not stuffy,' he said.
The result was more than just a new uniform – it was a truly pioneering collaboration. The exhibition is your chance to revisit it.
Members are continuing to help us shape what our uniform looks like. Over 55,000 of you responded to the survey about our uniform launching in 2026 – thank you!
Our 90s uniform is back!
Want to relive the glory days of the 90s? Our special-edition, collection is for adult members. It's your chance to relive your guiding days and celebrate the Jeff Banks style that defined a generation.
Our archive exhibition is open Monday to Saturday, 9am-5pm at Girlguiding HQ, 17-19 Buckingham Palace Road, London, SW1W 0PT. It’s free to visit.
Help us unearth more history
We’re looking for more real-life stories and artefacts from the members who helped us be pioneering for our archive, exhibition and this magazine. Can you help? Get in touch.
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