A historical photograph depicting the return of the last infantry of soldiers returning from World War I will soon be moved to its new home at Girl Scouts First Headquarters in downtown Savannah. Girl Scouts of Historic Georgia will debut the photograph on February 7, the 99th anniversary of the soldiers’ return and the date of the historic photograph. The photograph features “America’s Last Thousand,” the last soldiers to return from war to the Port of Savannah in 1923 and local Girl Scouts to welcome them. Girl Scouts of Historic Georgia will include the photograph in its permanent collection at Girl Scouts First Headquarters, the carriage house to Juliette Gordon Low’s home and the location of the first dedicated Girl Scout meeting space in the nation in 1912. “To have such an important piece of Savannah history in our permanent collection is a great honor,” said Sue Else, CEO of Girl Scouts of Historic Georgia. “By seeing this photo at First Headquarters, Girl Scouts and other visitors from all over the world will have a greater understanding of the longevity of Girl Scouts and its relevance in our nation’s history - especially as Girl Scouts celebrates our 110th birthday this year.”

The photo will be a gift from The DeSoto where it has been for the last 99 years. The DeSoto has hosted world travelers, celebrities, presidents, and Savannah residents since 1890 and continues to be a thriving Savannah business. “I continue to be amazed by the many ways that The Desoto has been part of the history of Savannah,” said Jay Wiendl, Managing Director of The DeSoto. “We thought it would be fitting that future visitors to our city have the same opportunity to view this photograph in its new home and the Girl Scouts First Headquarters.”

The photograph will be available to view at Girl Scouts First Headquarters, located at 330 Drayton Street, during Georgia History Festival’s Super Museum Sunday, February 7. The Georgia History Festival is a celebration each February of the founding of the colony of Georgia and over 100 museums across the state will be open to the public for free this Sunday, including Girl Scouts First Headquarters. For a full list of museums participating in Georgia History Festival’s Super Museum Sunday, visit their website.

Girl Scouts will also be hosting cookie booths at Girl Scouts First Headquarters and select museums participating in Super Museum Sunday. Girl Scouts began baking and distributing Girl Scout cookies in 1917 as a way to support the United States military during World War I, and the Girl Scout Cookie Program continues to be a major entrepreneurial experience for Girl Scouts everywhere. To learn more about the Girl Scout Cookie Program and to find local cookie booths, visit www.gshg.org/cookies or download the Girl Scout Cookie Finder app on iPhone and Android.