Deaf Artist cards and postcards

The RIT/NTID Deaf Studies Archive documents RIT’s central role in educating the Deaf and hard of hearing in the United States and draws from Rochester's significant Deaf community. The main focus of the archive is Deaf culture, Deaf studies, Deaf education, Deaf theater, Deaf artists and Deafness.

The National Technical Institute for the Deaf, one of nine colleges at RIT, was established by an act of congress and signed into law by President Johnson in 1965. After an extensive national search, RIT was chosen as the permanent home for NTID, and the first group of students arrived in Fall 1968. This significant archive of primary resources, artwork, videos and books documents the founding and growth of NTID and highlights the many remarkable contributions of Deaf, hard of hearing and hearing individuals affiliated with NTID. The Rochester area enjoys a vibrant Deaf community, and the Deaf Studies Archive represents the first time an effort has been made to preserve some record of this culture. A growing portion of the Deaf Studies Archive focuses on deaf and hard of hearing artists. Deaf artist collections often include biographical information, artwork, photographs, media and clippings.