Description:
The growth of urban populations resulting from the Industrial Revolution, led to a more powerful lobby for deaf people. This mug may have been part of a campaign on behalf of the deaf or were perhaps designed specifically for deaf children. A similar transfer printed mug in the collection of Historic New England was owned Charles Barrett (1807-1862), who lost his hearing as a child, as a result of medications he was taking. Charles was one of the first students at the Hartford Asylum of the Deaf and Dumb. Founded in 1817, the asylum was the nation's first school for students with any kind of disability. English pearlware child's mug with purple transfer print illustrating the British Sign Language alphabet.

Tags:
hands; letters

Link to share this object record:
https://museums.fivecolleges.edu/detail.php?t=objects&type=ext&id_number=HD+2021.4

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