Browse through the articles of RSD's publication, The Rochester Advocate. Originally it was named the Daily Paper for Our Little People. Look up Sarah Adams, Chinese Deaf School, the Mechanics Institute, and other topics. you can browse 1881-1899 or use the search box to find articles related to your keywords.
You can also search through the Deaf-Mutes Journal.
This article describes the evolution of the manual alphabet from the 7th century to the present day.This historical account of the development of the manual alphabet in ASL (and of representational systems in other sign languages) traces fingerspelling back to the monks of the seventh century, who devised a system for representing speech without needing to speak. Many years later, in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, their manual alphabet underwent significant adaptation as a result of the contact between the monks and the deaf children they tutored. This article describes the evolution of the manual alphabet from that time to the present day. There is some information about the Rochester Method.
You can find articles in The Silent Worker. Use the keywords Rochester, or Western New York Institution (Institute) for (the Deaf-Mutes. The Silent Worker database has been changed and not everything has been transferred to the new site yet. If you cannot find the article, then put in an ILL request. We also have The Silent Worker magazine in Archives (1940s-1960s).
'Take Courage' -- A feature about Sarah Adams, an artist who graduated from RSD and taught art at a hearing girls' school.
Also see the Deaf Art, Deaf Artist profile on Sarah.
At the Western NY Institution of the Deaf -- More info about Sarah Adams
Deaf Teachers of the Hearing
Chinese Deaf Mutes
The Chinese School for Deaf Mutes
Deaf Mutes in China and RSD's involvement. (Mrs. Annette Thompson).
The School in China
$100 Check to be Forwarded -- funds donated to a deaf school in China.
Reverend Charles Mills -- Information about Chinese deaf school
Among the Proceedings -- information about RSD
Lucy McMasters -- Teacher at RSD
Against Sins -- a former graduate of RSD argues against using sign language
The Other Side -- Talks about a graduate who doesn't know sign language and thus cannot speak authoritatively about it.
Western New York Institution for the Deaf -- Mutes in Rochester
There is interesting information about a deaf artist, FM (Francis Marion) Tuttle by Diana Rodriguez. He visited the Western New York Institute for deaf Mutes and sold a painting to the superintendent. They located a painted, Ahab and Jezebel Reproved by Elijah in the RSD storage room.
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