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History of British Sign Language

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A Christmas Entertainment

The two engravings above depict a hearing person declaiming in front of a deaf audience. A clergyman, the Rev Samuel Smith interprets. However the audience appear to be more interested in signing to each other than to watching the entertainment!

A Christmas Entertainment, presented in sign language for the deaf and dumb, at the Hanover Square rooms, London. Wood engraving, published in Illustrated London News (Wellcome Library, London