FAQ: Veditz Collection

The George W. Veditz Collection is a group of films that were produced by the National Association of the Deaf from 1910 through 1920, for the preservation of "excellent examples" of sign language. The N.A.D. was concerned that "pure" sign language might disappear under the pressures of oralism, and made these films so that future generations might see master signers of the past. In 1965, the N.A.D. transferred these films to Gallaudet University for preservation and to make them more available to people.

In the mid-1980s, this historic N.A.D. film collection was named in honor of Veditz, who had been President of the N.A.D. and who was a lifelong champion for sign language over oralism.

In the mid-1990s, an arrangement was made with Sign Media, Inc. of Burtonsville, MD to have the films professionally transferred to broadcast quality videotape in exchange for sales rights. A portion of the proceeds from the sales of the videotapes go to the Gallaudet University Archives in support of archival and preservation work.

The films were released by SMI on videotape in 1997, in two versions:

• The preservation of American Sign Language (60 minutes). This version contains eight selected films from the Veditz collection, with introductory narrations by Brian Malzkuhn. He gives a brief biographical introduction for each signer, then a segment of the film is shown, followed by a comparison of some of the old historical signs with their present-day counterparts. (Gallaudet Library call no. VHS 959)

   

• The preservation of American Sign Language: the complete historical collection (120 minutes). This contains 15 films in their entirety, without voice-over, captioning, or introductions. (Gallaudet Library call no. VHS 1582)

All the individual films are silent, black and white, and very short, none more than 10 minutes long.

Following is a list of the Veditz Collection films. An asterisk (*) identifies which ones appear in SMI's shorter 60-minute version. All except two appear in SMI's 120-minute version. The films marked with a pound sign (#) do not appear in either SMI collection, and must be requested separately.

• An address at the tomb of Garfield. 1913.
  Willis Hubbard, leader in the deaf community and teacher at the Michigan School for the Deaf, speaks of the late President James A. Garfield and his support for deaf education.

   

• # A chapter from the life of Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet. 1920.
  Shows a scene from an uncompleted play about Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet, with an all-deaf cast (Harley D. Drake, Ruth Knox, and Frederick H. Hughes). (Gallaudet Library call no. VHS 974)

   

• # Convention of American Instructors of the Deaf at Staunton, Va., July, 1914. 1914.
  Shows nearly all the people who were superintendents of schools for the deaf at the time. (Gallaudet Library call no. VHS 824)

   

• The death of Minnehaha. 1913.
  Mary Williamson Erd (teacher at the Michigan School for the Deaf) gives a sign language version of Longfellow's famous poem.

   

• * The discovery of chloroform. 1913.
  A deaf chemist and deaf community leader, Dr. George T. Dougherty, signs in one of the world's first educational films.

   

• * Dom Pedro's visit to Gallaudet College. 1913.
  Dr. Edward Allen Fay, Gallaudet vice-president, tells about the visit of the Emperor of Brazil to Gallaudet in 1876.

   

• Gettysburg. 1915.
  Dr. Thomas Francis Fox, principal of the Fanwood School in New York, recites Lincoln's Gettysburg address. at the actual site of the battle.

   

• Glimpses of the battlefield. 1915.
  Originally part of the film Gettysburg. but now a separate film, this tour of the Gettysburg battlefield was led by the Reverend A.D. Bryant.

   

• * The Irishman's flea and The lady and the cake. 1913.
  Robert P. McGregor, teacher in the Ohio School for the Deaf and a long-time leader among the deaf, tells two humorous tales.

   

• * A lay sermon: the universal brotherhood of man and the fatherhood of God. 1913.
  Robert P. McGregor turns serious and gives a sermon.

   

• * The Lorna Doone country of Devonshire, England. 1910.
  The only known film showing Gallaudet University's first president, Edward Miner Gallaudet, signing. He tells about his visit to England.

   

• * Memories of old Hartford. 1913.
  Dr. John B. Hotchkiss, Gallaudet faculty member, reminiscences about the "good old days" in Hartford, Connecticut, during the 19th Century.

   

• A plea for a statue of de l'Épée in America. 1913.
  Reverends James H. Cloud and Michael R. McCarthy argue that the abbe Charles Michel de l'Épée, French founder of public education for the deaf, should be honored by the deaf of America with a statue put up in his memory. McCarthy reads the address aloud while Cloud interprets it into sign language.

   

• * Preservation of the sign language. 1913.
  George W. Veditz makes a plea for the preservation of "God's most noble gift to the deaf", the sign language.

   

• * The signing of the charter of Gallaudet College. 1915.
  Gallaudet mathematics professor and faculty secretary, Amos G. Draper, tells of a historic event in 1864.

   

• Yankee Doodle. 1920.
  W.E. Marshall signs a humorous recital of the famous song, in costume.