Narrating and Interpreting Disability

Items

• "Bokwewa; or, The Humpback"

  Bokwewa, the wise manitou (deity) of the North American Indians, becomes a mortal and in the process, deformed. His brother, in search for his wife, abandons the search due to the temptations of an Indian metropolis. Bokwewa in turn must set out from their home and rescue him.
• The deaf and dumb girl's dream: a pathetic ballad

  Sheet music. This musical score for piano and voice with illustrated cover claims inspiration from a young girl’s dream about an angel “healing” her deafness.
• A brief historical sketch of the life and sufferings of Leonard Trask, the wonderful invalid.

  This pamphlet presents the sensationalized biography of the life of Leonard Task (1806-1861), a laborer who was thrown from a horse, leaving his spine permanently injured. The cover image emphasizes his debilitating physical condition, with his head bent low between his shoulders.
• John Hughes letter book, 1826-1830.

  This volume contains letters that John Hughes of Frederick County, Maryland, wrote to his brother James and to other correspondents about his personal and financial affairs between 1826 and 1830. He primarily discussed his father's estate, the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, property ownership and management, and national politics. Hughes occasionally described recurring "imaginations," which included visions of his brother James becoming a personal enemy.