Starting Work: Residential School Training
Dublin Core
Title
Starting Work: Residential School Training
Subject
In this video Dick Moore, Dennis Legler, Robert Downing, Frank Amann, Janie Golightly, and Jan DeLap reflect on training opportunities in residential Deaf schools.
Creator
Zilvinas Paludnevicius
Source
Drs. John S. and Betty J. Schuchman Deaf Documentary Center Collection
Date
2022
Rights
This Item has been made available for educational and research purposes by the Drs. John S. and Betty J. Schuchman Deaf Documentary Center at Gallaudet University. This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You may need to obtain permission for your intended use if your use is otherwise not permitted by the copyright and applicable related rights legislation. For specific information about the copyright and reproduction rights for this Item, please contact the Schuchman Deaf Documentary Center: https://www.gallaudet.edu/drs-john-s-and-betty-j-schuchman-deaf-documentary-center
Language
American Sign Language
Moving Image Item Type Metadata
Video Description
A video featuring ASL interviews with several subjects. Dick Moore, a white older man seated in a darkened studio; Dennis Legler, a white older man seated at home; Robert Downing, a white older man standing in front of a dark curtain; Frank Amann, a white older man seated at home; Janie Golightly, a white older woman seated in a darkened studio; Jan DeLap, a white older woman seated in a darkened studio. The video begins with a still black and white image of the Composing Room at the Washington Post with the text Residential School Training.
Transcription
Dick Moore: When I was young, I took up printing in the workshop at my school, the Kentucky School for the Deaf. That same teacher taught my father printing, was the teacher who taught me printing.
Dennis Legler: Yes, at school, yes. During seventh grade at ISD, the Iowa School for the Deaf. I learned printing for one year.
Robert Downing: I picked being a printer because while at Deaf school I was trained in printing, in linotype. At ISD (Illinois School for the Deaf) the people who did typesetting or linotype were those with good English skills, very good English, in order to have linotype training. So that’s where I started my job, and then after I graduated from school I went to trade school in a small town. I found out I was too good for that class. I ended up being the mechanic for those that were in the class training on the linotype. As the mechanic I fixed the linotype machines, hung the pigs, etc. Then I got my union card.
Dick Moore: At that time, while I was enrolled at the vocational school, they had all the hot metal work, except the offset printing press that was new. I learned how to use linotype and also Ludlow, hand-typesetting to make headlines we used the cylinder press, rapid printing press because we printed the Kentucky Standard every two weeks we put those papers out. Truly, my Kentucky school had wonderful printing equipment in their shop.
Frank Amann: Really, those skills weren’t easy to find at the time, but at the Deaf school, they had their own monthly newsletters, printed in their print shops. Those were sent out to parents and such.
Dick Moore: The first time I went to printing class, the other Deaf students knew what was going to happen. They gathered around and watched. The teacher approached me, asking me to pull the case, and that case had small letters of Ludlow type. Inside the case were different small typing keys, letters. You would pull the type out one by one. Anyway, he told me to pull the drawer open. So I tugged it open. Only I pulled too hard, and when I did the case pulled completely out and fell. The typing keys scattered all over the floor. Everyone laughed. They told me that was the only way to learn, putting all the type back in the drawer would make me remember where they belonged. Because it was a large case of letters arranged in order. I understood her point. I picked up the drawer and carefully put each of the types back in place. That experience, I’ll never forget it. I remember putting each type back in its place. I memorized it all, it worked. From that point on, I got to work.
Janie Golightly: I grew up in Connecticut and went to ASD, the American School for the Deaf. Yes, I had regular academic classes, but also had special times set for vocational training. For things like home economics, cooking, sewing, typing, and art. I was really interested in typing. Two to three times every week I would learn to type, which was neat, and I found it fascinating. You have to remember, at that time it was only for the boys. The girls were limited in what they could do, only art, sewing, typing, and cooking. That’s it. On the other hand, the boys could take printing, welding, and carpentry. All that. There were limitations and we were kept separate. Now, things are co-ed. But that's why I didn’t learn printing trades until later.
Jan DeLap: No, I wasn't trained as a printer. In the 1950s, women weren’t encouraged to enter the printing field. Deaf schools only focused on teaching boys about printing, not girls. They were taught sewing and such. My future goals…my future plans, there were two options: to become a teacher or to get married, that’s it. There weren’t any jobs.
Dennis Legler: Yes, at school, yes. During seventh grade at ISD, the Iowa School for the Deaf. I learned printing for one year.
Robert Downing: I picked being a printer because while at Deaf school I was trained in printing, in linotype. At ISD (Illinois School for the Deaf) the people who did typesetting or linotype were those with good English skills, very good English, in order to have linotype training. So that’s where I started my job, and then after I graduated from school I went to trade school in a small town. I found out I was too good for that class. I ended up being the mechanic for those that were in the class training on the linotype. As the mechanic I fixed the linotype machines, hung the pigs, etc. Then I got my union card.
Dick Moore: At that time, while I was enrolled at the vocational school, they had all the hot metal work, except the offset printing press that was new. I learned how to use linotype and also Ludlow, hand-typesetting to make headlines we used the cylinder press, rapid printing press because we printed the Kentucky Standard every two weeks we put those papers out. Truly, my Kentucky school had wonderful printing equipment in their shop.
Frank Amann: Really, those skills weren’t easy to find at the time, but at the Deaf school, they had their own monthly newsletters, printed in their print shops. Those were sent out to parents and such.
Dick Moore: The first time I went to printing class, the other Deaf students knew what was going to happen. They gathered around and watched. The teacher approached me, asking me to pull the case, and that case had small letters of Ludlow type. Inside the case were different small typing keys, letters. You would pull the type out one by one. Anyway, he told me to pull the drawer open. So I tugged it open. Only I pulled too hard, and when I did the case pulled completely out and fell. The typing keys scattered all over the floor. Everyone laughed. They told me that was the only way to learn, putting all the type back in the drawer would make me remember where they belonged. Because it was a large case of letters arranged in order. I understood her point. I picked up the drawer and carefully put each of the types back in place. That experience, I’ll never forget it. I remember putting each type back in its place. I memorized it all, it worked. From that point on, I got to work.
Janie Golightly: I grew up in Connecticut and went to ASD, the American School for the Deaf. Yes, I had regular academic classes, but also had special times set for vocational training. For things like home economics, cooking, sewing, typing, and art. I was really interested in typing. Two to three times every week I would learn to type, which was neat, and I found it fascinating. You have to remember, at that time it was only for the boys. The girls were limited in what they could do, only art, sewing, typing, and cooking. That’s it. On the other hand, the boys could take printing, welding, and carpentry. All that. There were limitations and we were kept separate. Now, things are co-ed. But that's why I didn’t learn printing trades until later.
Jan DeLap: No, I wasn't trained as a printer. In the 1950s, women weren’t encouraged to enter the printing field. Deaf schools only focused on teaching boys about printing, not girls. They were taught sewing and such. My future goals…my future plans, there were two options: to become a teacher or to get married, that’s it. There weren’t any jobs.
Duration
0:04:25
Citation
Zilvinas Paludnevicius, “Starting Work: Residential School Training,” DeafPrinters, accessed April 20, 2024, https://deafprinters.com/items/show/105.