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The Juliette Gordon Low Birthplace is fortunate to have a collection that represents a large number of pieces that originally belonged to the Gordon family and Juliette Gordon Low. The collection supports our interpretation of the life of the Gordons, an important American family. Using family inventories, wills, letters and photographs, we have identified the following categories for our collection:
- Gordon family possessions used in the Wayne-Gordon House;
- Objects that belonged to Juliette Gordon Low during her lifetime, including memorabilia associated with the founding of Girl Scouts in 1912;
- Objects that approximately represent documented Gordon possessions.
Nellie Gordon undertook a complete redecoration of the Wayne-Gordon House as the final part of the 1886 major renovation of the family home. She was an early proponent of the aesthetic movement and was inspired by the writings of Clarence Cook. Her choice of textiles, paint colors, furniture makers and dealers were all influenced by Cook’s opinions. Due to the upcoming December wedding of Daisy Gordon and William Mackay Low, there was a flurry of letters between mother and daughter. The letters deal with furniture purchases for the redecoration, wedding plans and family updates. The detailed and candid letters have informed our decisions about room arrangements, paint colors, fabric choices and collections policies.
When the house was purchased from the Mrs. George Arthur Gordon in 1953, a substantial number of family pieces were included in the sale. In addition, after Juliette Low’s death in 1927, a group of interested women began collecting artwork by Juliette Low and other early Girl Scout memorabilia. The collection, known as the Juliette Low Museum, was exhibited in New York City and in Savannah. These materials were given to GSUSA for display at the Juliette Gordon Low Birthplace. Over the years, Gordon family members and friends, have continued to donate family furnishings and decorative arts to the museum to enhance our interpretation.
After one of the first Girl Scout meetings in Savannah, one of the participants reported to her mother that Mrs. Gordon had chandeliers made of diamonds. And in fact, Nellie’s matched pair of parlor chandeliers are one of the most impressive additions the Gordons made to their home. One chandelier was purchased from the Rauer family in Savannah and a copy made by Tiffany and Co. in New York. A pair of handsome 1880’s Regency-style cabinets or vitrines by Marcotte and Company of New York flanks either side of the mahogany pocket doors between the parlors. The cabinets were designed to display objects d’art, curios and sentimental family memorabilia. The cabinet’s decorative ormolu details echo the earlier Egyptian wood trim and plasterwork from the original 1818 parlor decor. A stunning pier mirror sets off the rooms and reflects the vibrant colors, furnishings and elegant chandeliers. The mirror is decorated with gold acanthus leaves and an Egyptian head in early Art Nouveau style. 
Artistic pursuits were important to Juliette Gordon Low throughout her life. Even in boarding school art was her favorite subject though she would have preferred to excel in more academic studies to please her parents. She often illustrated her letters home with drawings of clothing designs, caricatures and scenes from her life. By the time Daisy was in finishing school, she was convinced that art would be her life’s work. She was allowed the unusual privilege of taking art instruction with a painter at his studio in New York City. 
The daisy–shaped brooch with the year “1886” across its stem served as a wedding favor from the groom for each of Juliette Low’s 10 bridesmaids. According to tradition, Willy Low, who fancied himself an expert in diamonds, selected each of the stones used in the pins. He chose to have the pins set in silver instead of yellow gold because he believed that silver complimented the color of the diamonds. In this choice, he anticipated the taste of the 1890’s and early 1900’s for diamond jewelry set in platinum. 
The Thanks Badge was presented to Mrs. Woodrow Wilson in 1917 on the occasion of Mrs. Wilson’s assuming the Honorary Presidency of Girl Scouts of the USA. This unique Thanks Badge was made by Cartier in New York. The highly decorative, one-of-a-kind piece is displayed in its original red leather presentation box. In the early years of the organization, if a Girl Scout saw someone wearing a Thanks Badge, it was her duty to make herself known by saluting and rendering any assistance that the badge holder might require. Since Mrs. Wilson’s tenure, every United States President’s wife has served as the honorary President of GSUSA, including our current Honorary President, Mrs. Michelle Obama.
The small rectangular Mourning Brooch is gold-enameled with a black border and contains two intricate and intertwined knots of hair that belonged to Sarah Stites Gordon and her husband, William Washington Gordon I. The brooch was worn by Sarah Gordon, Juliette Low’s grandmother, and is pictured in her photograph displayed on the parlor mantle and in the sunburst portrait of Sarah located in the hallway of the bedroom floor.
According to family tradition, the alligator-tooth whistle was used by Eleanor (Nellie) Kinzie Gordon to stop the street car on Bull Street in the mornings so her husband could finish his morning coffee and still have time to catch the street car to his office. The tooth is mounted in silver and hangs on a red silk cord with tassels.
