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Primary sourceBookMay 1894

Utility of Signs

Alexander Graham Bell · May 1894

A pamphlet of 1894 reprinted from The Educator, in which Bell argues about sign language and deaf education. This copy was given with his compliments.

Written by Bell himself, this 1894 pamphlet shows his public argument about sign language and deaf education, which he also pursued through his family's work.

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Title page of a pamphlet reading 'Compliments of the Author. Utility of Signs, by Alexander Graham Bell, Ph.D. Reprinted from the Educator of May, 1894. Pennsylvania Institution Print, 1894.' A red handwritten name is at the top and a library stamp appears on the lower right.
Alexander Graham Bell, Utility of Signs, 1894. Reprinted from The Educator, May 1894. National Library of Medicine copy, digitized.

About this source

What it is

This is a pamphlet titled Utility of Signs, by Alexander Graham Bell, Ph.D. It was reprinted from The Educator of May 1894 and printed by the Pennsylvania Institution in 1894. The title page carries the words Compliments of the Author, and the copy in the record bears a handwritten inscription, With the compliments of Alexander Graham Bell, from his address on Connecticut Avenue in Washington, D.C. The digitized copy is a National Library of Medicine copy, and its subjects are sign language and persons with hearing impairments.

Why it matters

Bell's work with his father's methods for teaching deaf people had long shaped his career, and this pamphlet shows him making a written argument on sign language and deaf education. Debates about sign language and speech in deaf education were active among educators of the time, and Bell took part in them through printed work like this. Reading it lets students see how one inventor used print to influence teachers and the public.

Look closer

  • What position does Bell take on sign language, and what reasons does he give?
  • Why might Bell have sent copies with his compliments to other readers?
  • What views about deaf people does this pamphlet reflect, and what might it leave out?

This book is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Alexander Graham on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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