Touching the Book: the history of literature for blind people
Birkbeck hosts exhibition on embossed literature for blind people in the nineteenth century
Today, Birkbeck, University of London has received £8,200 from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) through their Sharing Heritage programme, for an exciting exhibition entitled, Touching the Book: Embossed Literature for Blind People in the Nineteenth Century, which will be held in their new exhibition space - the Peltz Gallery - from 18 July to 31 October 2013. Curated by Dr Heather Tilley, a British Academy Postdoctoral Fellow in Birkbeck’s Department of English and Humanities, the exhibition explores the history of embossed books and literacy for blind people in nineteenth-century Britain and Europe.
The exhibition will contain important examples of nineteenth-century embossed books, writing devices, journals, pamphlets and portraits from the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB), the Wellcome Library, and private collections. Visitors will learn about the development of embossed reading and writing practices for visually-impaired people prior to the adoption of braille in the late nineteenth century. This was a period in which a number of raised alphabets were invented and taught in blind schools and teaching societies throughout Europe, characterized either by their resemblance to the Roman alphabet and legible to the eye or their use of an arbitrary, symbolic code, such as braille.
The exhibition traces debates between those alphabets that were best-suited to the eye vs those best-suited to the finger. Visitors will gain a deeper insight into how nineteenth-century blind and partially sighted people, including Thomas Rhodes Armitage (a founding member of RNIB) and communities campaigned to have ownership of embossed writing systems. They will also be able to access further information and share responses to the exhibition on the exhibition’s website. The curator will deliver regular tours of the exhibition.
Dr Tilley said: “I am delighted that we have received this Heritage Lottery Funding which will enable us to host the exhibition throughout the coming year. We look forward to welcoming visitors interested in the rich heritage relating to peoples’ experience of visual disability and literacy in the nineteenth century.”
Robert Saggers, RNIB's Heritage Services Manager, said: "Our Archive and Research Library collections are a unique and important resource for anyone interested in research, history and information relating to blindness and sight loss and we are delighted to share some of our valuable artefacts and literature for visitors to enjoy in this fascinating exhibition."