1st April Talk: The story of BSL: The Dawn of modern British Sign Language in the Deaf Working-Class Community, 1792 and its Hackney connection. Peter Brown.
Five years ago, the roots of modern British Sign Language (BSL), used today by the British Deaf community, were unclear. Deaf Historian Peter Brown decided to investigate and discovered that it began in 1792 at Britain’s first free, mass-taught deaf school in Bermondsey, south London. The language emerged from six deaf newcomers from poor families and their hearing teacher from Thomas Braidwood’s small private school for the deaf in Hackney. During his presentation, Peter will share fascinating insights into how this working-class sign language evolved from that school in Hackney into its present-day form.
Peter will be delivering his talk in BSL which interpreter Helen Fallows will be translating into spoken English.
This talk will be at 6.30pm, at Hackney Archives, Tuesday 1st April. The event is free, but please book via Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/the-hackney-society-14731629575
– and click on ‘The Story of BSL’
We are most grateful to the Hackney Society for hosting the booking for this event.
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The Hackney History Festival 2025 will be at the Round Chapel on Sat May 10, Sutton House on Sun May 11 and Hackney Archives on Sat 17 and Sun 18 May, with satellite events throughout May.
The programme, which includes both free and paid for events, is now live with walks, tours and performances – book your places today: BOOK NOW
| Other Forthcoming Events: Girl Migrants in East London: Journeys of Resilience, Struggle, Empowerment Eithne Nightingale and Margaret Andrews discuss the experiences of young girls who have migrated to east London. FREE. 15 March, 2-3pm, Hackney Archives. HOWL: History of Women’s Liberation Drop in to record your memories of the Women’s Liberation Movement with members of the HOWL organising group. FREE. 22 March, 2.30-4.20pm. The Tower Theatre. Samplers and Schoolgirls: Hackney’s Female Academies in the 17th Century Hear Dr Isabella Rosner talk about how Hackney was the centre of education for girls of the middle and upper classes in the 1600s, through needlework and paper-based art. FREE. 27 March, 6.30-7.45pm, Hackney Museum. Talk – Summer of protest: Bengali anti-racist movement in 1978 The brutal murder of Altab Ali on 4 May 1978 was a turning point that mobilised an anti-racist movement in East London. Join Ansar Ullah as he explores what led to the summer of protests and how the Bengali community in Hackney and Tower Hamlets forged alliances with other community and political groups. 24 April, 6.30-7.45pm Hackney Museum Hackney Museum Exhibition The Threads that Bind Us Check out Hackney Museum’s new exhibition, The Threads that Bind Us, co-curated with community group Cordwainers Grow. The display explores three textile projects, which connected 500 people with their communities, nature and the spaces around them. To 7th June |