Deaf heritage: a narrative history of deaf America

Abstract

Now, Jack R. Gannon s original groundbreaking volume on history and culture is available once again. In Deaf Heritage: A Narrative History of America, Gannon brought together for the first time the story of the experience in America from a perspective. Recognizing the need to document the multifaceted history of this unique minority with its distinctive visual culture, he painstakingly gathered as much material as he could on American life. The result is a 17-chapter montage of artifacts and information that forms an utterly fascinating record from the early nineteenth century to the time of its original publication in 1981.Deaf Heritage tracks the development of the community both chronologically and by significant subjects. The initial chapter treats the critical topics of early attempts at deaf education, the impact of and Black deaf teachers, the establishment of schools for the deaf, and the founding of Gallaudet College. Individual chapters cover the 1880s through the 1970s, mixing milestones such as the birth of the National Association of the and the work of important figures, and hearing, with anecdotes about day-to-day deaf life. Other chapters single out important facets of culture: American Sign Language, Sports, artists, humor, and publications. The overall effect of this remarkable record, replete with archival photographs, tables, and lists of people s accomplishments, reveals the growth of a vibrant legacy singular in American history.

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