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Beauty For The Sighted And The Blind
268 pages, Paperback
Published October 15, 2011
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April 29, 2025
This book relates the story of taking items and placing them in the hands of the blind so they may see the beauty within them.
One Christmas Allen Eaton was shopping and noticed the store owner had allowed the blind customers the opportunity to examine items for purchased. He found out that this was an annual occurrence. As he watched, he wondered how this could be extended on other levels. In 1931 he decided that a collection of small objects would be ideal. These items should fit into one or both hands and would be no longer than 12 inches. In the first collection of about 40 pieces, 3 did exceed the length. They were a giraffe, 18 inches; a mahogany tray, 15 inches; and Maestro Toscanini baton, 20 inches long and weighing less than one ounce.
As he toured with the collection he realized that he was missing a whole other group of people, the deaf/blind. He worked with blind centers in helping to create collections for their own and helped in incorporating the deaf/blind community in the experience. One experience several people were allowed were to go to the Chicago Museum Hall of Man and see some the sculptures there. It was a collection of 104 life-size pieces, mostly in bronze, by Malvina Hoffman. This is not an opportunity that was extended many museums.
There is a chapter that tells of nine individuals who seemed to over look the fact that they were blind or deaf/blind and achieved accomplishments that were unheard of in the time. The book has several photos of the original collection that was first presented, some of the sculptures, and of the nine previously mentioned.
Note: This book was printed in 1959. There are few dates given in the book - 1931 when idea began and 1933 the installation of the sculptures. He speaks of a piece of "kobu" that was given to the collection from a Japanese American in the War Relocation Camp. this would place the time around 1943-1945.
One Christmas Allen Eaton was shopping and noticed the store owner had allowed the blind customers the opportunity to examine items for purchased. He found out that this was an annual occurrence. As he watched, he wondered how this could be extended on other levels. In 1931 he decided that a collection of small objects would be ideal. These items should fit into one or both hands and would be no longer than 12 inches. In the first collection of about 40 pieces, 3 did exceed the length. They were a giraffe, 18 inches; a mahogany tray, 15 inches; and Maestro Toscanini baton, 20 inches long and weighing less than one ounce.
As he toured with the collection he realized that he was missing a whole other group of people, the deaf/blind. He worked with blind centers in helping to create collections for their own and helped in incorporating the deaf/blind community in the experience. One experience several people were allowed were to go to the Chicago Museum Hall of Man and see some the sculptures there. It was a collection of 104 life-size pieces, mostly in bronze, by Malvina Hoffman. This is not an opportunity that was extended many museums.
There is a chapter that tells of nine individuals who seemed to over look the fact that they were blind or deaf/blind and achieved accomplishments that were unheard of in the time. The book has several photos of the original collection that was first presented, some of the sculptures, and of the nine previously mentioned.
Note: This book was printed in 1959. There are few dates given in the book - 1931 when idea began and 1933 the installation of the sculptures. He speaks of a piece of "kobu" that was given to the collection from a Japanese American in the War Relocation Camp. this would place the time around 1943-1945.
Displaying 1 of 1 review