return JULIETTE GORDON LOW (1860-1927) by Edward Hughes (1832-1908) Savannah, Georgia, debutante Juliette Gordon Low's aristocratic status was sealed with her marriage in 1886 to William Mackay Low, the son of a family well established in both England and the United States. Low spent most of her nine-year marriage in England, serving as a hostess for the highest-ranking members of British society, including the Prince of Wales. In 1905, at the loss of her husband, her marriage, and her pride—Low's husband died before the couple's impending divorce, leaving his entire estate to his mistress—she sank into a deep depression. While reappraising her role in life, she met General Sir Robert Baden-Powell, founder of the British Boy Scouts. Attracted by its mission, Low organized her first group of Girl Scouts in 1911. In succeeding years, troops rapidly sprang up across the United States, due in no small part to Low's tireless efforts. London artist Edward Hughes was an exceedingly popular portrait painter in European high society. His commissions included the Prince of Wales, his brother Prince Albert, and his sister Princess Mary, among other royals and persons of wealth. Low commissioned Hughes to paint his new bride's portrait shortly after the couple's move to England. Oil on canvas, 1887 National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution Gift of the Girl Scouts of the United States of America NPG.73.5 return