3 OF 17 
Olave St Clair Baden-Powell (née Soames), Lady Baden-Powell
3 of 17 portraits of Olave St Clair Baden-Powell (née Soames), Lady Baden-Powell
© National Portrait Gallery, London
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Olave St Clair Baden-Powell (née Soames), Lady Baden-Powell
by Unknown photographer
bromide press print, 1910s
5 3/4 in. x 5 in. (147 mm x 126 mm) overall
Given by Terence Pepper, 2014
Photographs Collection
NPG x194412
Sitterback to top
- Olave St Clair Baden-Powell (née Soames), Lady Baden-Powell (1889-1977), Leader of the world Girl Guide movement; wife of 1st Baron Baden-Powell. Sitter in 17 portraits.
Artistback to top
- Unknown photographer, Photographer. Artist or producer associated with 6584 portraits.
This portraitback to top
This is a historical work of art which reflects the attitudes and viewpoints of the time in which it was made. Whilst these may differ from today's attitudes, this image is an important historical document.
This portrait shows Lady Baden-Powell wearing a distinctive geometric 'swastika' pendant. The swastika, which presents itself in subtle variations is an ancient symbol which has various meanings in various cultures around the world. The earliest known swastika was found in Mezine, Ukraine and has been dated to from 10,000 BCE.
The scouts adopted the Swastika in 1908 as a 'gratitude badge'. The use in scouting of the swastika continued in various forms until 1935. In his publication 'What Scouts Can Do - More Yarns' published in 1921 by Robert Baden Powell, the Leader of the Scouts goes to lengths to explain the history of the Swastika and its relevance to the scouting movement:
'As you know from the account of the Swastika Thanks Badge which I have given to you in Scouting for Boys, the symbol was used in almost every part of the world in ancient days and therefore has various meanings to it... Anyway, whatever the origin was, the Swastika now stands for the badge of fellowship among Scouts all over the world and when anyone has done kindness to a Scout it is their privilege to present him or her with this token of their gratitude, which makes him a sort of member of the Brotherhood, and entitles him to the help of any other Scout at any time and at any place'... I want specially to remind Scouts to keep their eyes open and never fail to spot anyone wearing this badge. It is their duty then to go up to such a person and make the scout sign, and ask if they can be of service to the wearer.'
The swastika symbol was used by many organisations and individuals. RAF pilots often had a symbol with them for good luck and protection. Rudyard Kipling, who spent much of his life in India, used swastikas in the cover designs for many of his books to give good fortune to his readers. It is almost certain that Lady Baden Powell's pendant therefore would have been worn as a symbol of gratitude or good fortune.
The Nazi Party adopted the swastika just before World War II. Adolf Hitler might have been inspired by the Scout movement and the idea of 'Brotherhood' but it is unclear if that is the reason he chose the swastika as an emblem for the Aryan identity. Hitler did meet with the Baden-Powell's to discuss an alliance of the Scouts movement with the German Youth Movement but this suggestion was met with scepticism and distrust due to the Nazi party's emerging political agendas.
Although the swastika continues to be used to this day for its ancient meanings, in the western world it has become impossible to escape its stigmatisation by its association with the Nazi movement. In the western world the symbol continues to be used by Neo-Nazi supporters and has thus become synonymous with hate and bigotry.
Events of 1910back to top
Current affairs
George V succeeds Edward VII to the throne.The Liberals win narrow victories after calling two General Elections following escalating tension between the Liberal administration and the Lords reached crisis point with the Lords' unprecedented rejection of Lloyd George's 1909 budget. The budget included tax reform intended to fund social reform and a rearmament programme, but was seen by the Conservative Lords as an assault on property.
Art and science
The critic and Bloomsbury group member Roger Fry curates a ground-breaking and, at the time, shocking exhibition in London's Grafton Galleries, Manet and the Post-Impressionists. The exhibition introduces the work of contemporary European artists to the London art establishment, including Manet, Cezanne, Gaugin and Van Gogh, and Fry became a champion of modern art, coining the term 'Post-Impressionism'.International
Japan annexes Korea as a colony, an indication of Japan's ambitious imperialist aims and attempts to control trade and influence in East Asia. Japanese occupation of Korea lasted until 1945, after Japan surrendered to the Allied forces at the end of the Second World War and Korea was divided in two by the United States and the Soviet Union.Comments back to top
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