LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — The Esse Purse Museum is wanting to showcase the Girl Scouts in a new light with its new exhibit.
"The old-fashioned look is just an experience in itself because it just sort of takes you back to that time period,” Maresha Jackson said.
When you think of Girl Scouts, cookies may come to mind. But the Esse Purse Museum wants to show there's more to them than just Thin Mints and Samoas.
“We do not have any cookie boxes on display,” Emily Hadland said. "It's really more about the girls and who they become."
Hadland said the museum’s "Girl Scouts Through the Decades" exhibit showcases the impact the program has had on girls' lives for over 100 years.
The museum showcases items from the 1930's all the way to the 1990's. She said the items on display capture the confidence and character of the young women who once wore them.
“They give back to the community, which is really important, and so we like the idea of giving back to the Girl Scouts here at the Esse Purse Museum,” Hadland said.
Hadland said a majority of the outfits come from the Girl Scouts Diamonds of Arkansas, as well as western Texas and Oklahoma.
“The Girl Scouts of the United States of America have loaned us purses and then we also have a couple local donors who have loaned items,” she said.
The exhibit also aims to include everyone. It may even bring back memories for some.
"I definitely was a Daisy Scout. One of my favorite parts was seeing a group of daisy scouts or girl scouts but it was a nice mix of little black girls and little white girls and I always love going to a space where I see myself represented,” CC Mercer said.
The exhibit runs through August 18. On June 7, there will also be a special reception through SoMa After Dark.