
'Morning Sun Institute' broadside Save

Description: Dated ca. 1880-1909, this broadside advertises the academic excellence of the Morning Sun Institute in Tappan Hall in Akron, Ohio. The virtues of the school and opportunities for students are described, including a tuition guarantee, rooming with private families, and more. Also listed are the instructors currently selected to teach at the institute. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: OVS1042
Subjects: Akron (Ohio); Advertisements; Cultural Ohio--Education; Schools--Ohio
Places: Akron (Ohio); Summit County (Ohio)
Image ID: OVS1042
Subjects: Akron (Ohio); Advertisements; Cultural Ohio--Education; Schools--Ohio
Places: Akron (Ohio); Summit County (Ohio)
School for the Blind Braille Rallye photograph Save

Description: This color image is a closeup of a paper sign taped to the door of a blue car. The sign reads: "Ohio State School for the Blind / 20 / Braille Rallye." A Braille Rallye is a competitive event in which a blind or visually impaired navigator is paired with a sighted driver. Driving directions and descriptions of landmarks are written in Braille, which the navigator reads and then imparts to the driver as they proceed along the course. Results of the competition are based on navigation and timekeeping.
In 1835 Dr. William Awl of Columbus and Dr. Daniel Drake of Cincinnati recommended to the Ohio General Assembly that a residential school for the blind be established. On April 3, 1837, Ohio governor Duncan McArthur signed the legislation that created the nation's first public school for the blind. The Ohio Institution for the Education of the Blind opened on July 3, 1837, with five students. It was the predecessor of the Ohio State School for the Blind. Any blind children residing in Ohio could attend the institution, which was located in downtown Columbus.
The school initially had a maximum capacity of sixty students, but upon moving to a new building in 1874, more than three hundred students could attend at one time. Between 1839 and 1901, 2,058 students enrolled at the Ohio Institution for the Education of the Blind, with 339 attending in 1901 alone.
In the early 1900s the Ohio Institution for the Education of the Blind became known as the Ohio State School for the Blind, and the Ohio Department of Education assumed control of the school. In 1953 the school moved ten miles north of its original location to its present home at 5220 North High Street. In 2005, 126 students enrolled in the Ohio State School for the Blind. Students as young as three and as old as twenty-one years of age attended the school. Students could receive their entire education, kindergarten through high school, at the institution. In addition, the Ohio State School for the Blind offered vocational training for its students.
William Awl (1799-1876) was born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. He studied medicine at the Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia and, in 1825, established a practice in Lancaster, Ohio. As a physician, Awl sought to improve medical care for the imprisoned, the blind, and the mentally ill. In 1833, the Ohio legislature appointed Awl as the physician of the Ohio Penitentiary. Two years later Awl helped organize the Ohio Medical Association. This organization lobbied the Ohio legislature to establish a state hospital for the mentally ill and a school for the blind. In 1837, they succeeded in convincing the legislature to establish the Ohio Lunatic Asylum. Awl served as the director of this institution until 1850. He believed that mental health problems were illnesses that physicians could treat. In 1868 he became the physician for the Ohio Institution for the Blind.
Daniel Drake (1785-1852) was in New Jersey. His family was very poor and moved to Kentucky in 1788, hoping to improve its lot on the frontier. In 1798, Drake became a student of Dr. William Goforth, one of the first physicians in Cincinnati, Ohio. In 1805 he received the first medical diploma granted west of the Appalachian Mountains.
Drake played a major role in establishing the Medical College of Ohio, founded in 1819. He also helped create the Commercial Hospital and Lunatic Asylum for the State of Ohio in 1820. Drake contributed greatly to Ohio's development. His work helped provide Ohioans with capable doctors. He played a leading role in establishing several institutions of higher education. Drake also wrote numerous books on Ohio's animals, plants, and diseases.
View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL06955
Subjects: Ohio State School for the Blind; Blind--Education; Awl, William M. (William Maclay), 1799-1876; Drake, Daniel, 1785-1852; Ohio Institution for the Education of the Blind
Places: Columbus (Ohio); Franklin County (Ohio)
Image ID: AL06955
Subjects: Ohio State School for the Blind; Blind--Education; Awl, William M. (William Maclay), 1799-1876; Drake, Daniel, 1785-1852; Ohio Institution for the Education of the Blind
Places: Columbus (Ohio); Franklin County (Ohio)
Ohio State School for the Blind bolted house model Save

Description: 3" x 4" photograph of a bolted house from a collection of models for the Ohio State School for the Blind. The bolted house model was designed to improve and demonstrate manual dexterity and coordination. A replication of most likely the most simple of the small, two-story gable houses. The model was small enough for a child to manipulate the parts; walls, roof, floor and chimney. The parts were made to fasten to one another by different-sized bolts and nuts. Each part had to be fastened in a particular order with the corresponding part. The chimney could only be fastened to the roof with the correct-sized bolt, and only after the roof was bolted in place. Likewise, the walls had to be bolted before the roof was bolted, and previously be bolted to the floor pieces. Two bolted house models were made. One had light gray walls and a green roof; the other had white walls and a blue roof. Both had a red chimney. All parts were made of wood. The model dimensions: length 18", width 7", height 12".
Photographs and descriptions of models were included in the book "Models for the Blind, " compiled by workers of the Ohio Writers' Program. The book was meant as a guide, to be used in the building and study of models, and as documentation of the achievements at the Ohio State School for the Blind. The models were a result of research, design and construction by employees of the Works Projects Administration. Models were made of durable materials to withstand regular usage. The average cost of labor for larger models was $45. A special room was built to store the models where teachers could borrow them to be used in classroom instruction.
In 1837, the Ohio government established the Ohio Institution for the Education of the Blind. This institution was the predecessor of the Ohio State School for the Blind. It was the first public school for the blind in the United States. It was the first in the nation to be created and maintained entirely by the State government. The school opened its doors in 1839, and it was located in downtown Columbus, Ohio. Any blind children residing in Ohio could attend the institution. Eleven students enrolled at the Ohio Institution for the Education of the Blind this first year. The school initially had a maximum capacity of sixty students, but upon moving to a new building in 1874, more than three hundred students could attend at one time. Between 1839 and 1901, 2, 058 students enrolled at the Ohio Institution for the Education of the Blind, with 339 attending in 1901 alone.
In the early 1900s, the Ohio Institution for the Education of the Blind became known as the Ohio State School for the Blind, and the Ohio Department of Education assumed control of the school. In 1953, the school moved ten miles north of its original location to its present home. In 2005, 126 students enrolled in the Ohio State School for the Blind. Students as young as three and as old as twenty-one years of age attended the school. Students could receive their entire education (kindergarten through high school) at the institution. In addition, the Ohio State School for the Blind offered vocational training for its students. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B11F02_036_001
Subjects: United States. Work Projects Administration; Blind--Education--Ohio; Ohio State School for the Blind; Model Architecture, Domestic--Ohio--Pictorial works.
Places: Columbus (Ohio); Franklin County (Ohio)
Image ID: SA1039AV_B11F02_036_001
Subjects: United States. Work Projects Administration; Blind--Education--Ohio; Ohio State School for the Blind; Model Architecture, Domestic--Ohio--Pictorial works.
Places: Columbus (Ohio); Franklin County (Ohio)
Ohio State School for the Blind Monticello model Save

Description: 3" x 4" photograph of Monticello replica from a collection of models for the Ohio State School for the Blind. The home of Thomas Jefferson, third President of the United States, stands on top of a "little mountain," 600 feet high. Jefferson designed Monticello, meaning "hillock" or "little mountain" in Italian, that took more than 40 years to build. Monticello is an example of neoclassical design; a fine example of Roman neoclassicism. The first design rendered 14 rooms total on three floors; now 33 rooms on four floors. The site of Monticello, located on a large plantation of 5,000 acres, had been in the family since 1735. The Virginia State Capitol and the University of Virginia were also designed by Thomas Jefferson. The model is length 36", width 41", height 16.5".
Photographs and descriptions of models were included in the book "Models for the Blind," compiled by workers of the Ohio Writers' Program. The book was meant as a guide, to be used in the building and study of models, and as documentation of the achievements at the Ohio State School for the Blind. The models were a result of research, design and construction by employees of the Works Projects Administration. Models were made of durable materials to withstand regular usage. The average cost of labor for larger models was $45. A special room was built to store the models where teachers could borrow them to be used in classroom instruction.
In 1837, the Ohio government established the Ohio Institution for the Education of the Blind. This institution was the predecessor of the Ohio State School for the Blind. It was the first public school for the blind in the United States. It was the first in the nation to be created and maintained entirely by the State government. The school opened its doors in 1839, and it was located in downtown Columbus, Ohio. Any blind children residing in Ohio could attend the institution. Eleven students enrolled at the Ohio Institution for the Education of the Blind this first year. The school initially had a maximum capacity of sixty students, but upon moving to a new building in 1874, more than three hundred students could attend at one time. Between 1839 and 1901, 2,058 students enrolled at the Ohio Institution for the Education of the Blind, with 339 attending in 1901 alone.
In the early 1900s, the Ohio Institution for the Education of the Blind became known as the Ohio State School for the Blind, and the Ohio Department of Education assumed control of the school. In 1953, the school moved ten miles north of its original location to its present home. In 2005, 126 students enrolled in the Ohio State School for the Blind. Students as young as three and as old as twenty-one years of age attended the school. Students could receive their entire education (kindergarten through high school) at the institution. In addition, the Ohio State School for the Blind offered vocational training for its students. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B11F02_043_001
Subjects: United States. Work Projects Administration; Blind--Education--Ohio; Ohio State School for the Blind; Monticello (Va.)
Places: Columbus (Ohio); Franklin County (Ohio)
Image ID: SA1039AV_B11F02_043_001
Subjects: United States. Work Projects Administration; Blind--Education--Ohio; Ohio State School for the Blind; Monticello (Va.)
Places: Columbus (Ohio); Franklin County (Ohio)
Ohio State School for the Blind steel truss bridge model Save

Description: 7" x 4.5" photograph of a steel truss bridge from a collection of models for the Ohio State School for the Blind. The model is a replica of a highway bridge over the Wabash river in Mercer County, Ohio. The model is length 59.5", width 15", height 13.5".
Photographs and descriptions of models were included in the book "Models for the Blind," compiled by workers of the Ohio Writers' Program. The book was meant as a guide, to be used in the building and study of models, and as documentation of the achievements at the Ohio State School for the Blind. The models were a result of research, design and construction by employees of the Works Projects Administration. Models were made of durable materials to withstand regular usage. The average cost of labor for larger models was $45. A special room was built to store the models where teachers could borrow them to be used in classroom instruction.
In 1837, the Ohio government established the Ohio Institution for the Education of the Blind. This institution was the predecessor of the Ohio State School for the Blind. It was the first public school for the blind in the United States. It was the first in the nation to be created and maintained entirely by the State government. The school opened its doors in 1839, and it was located in downtown Columbus, Ohio. Any blind children residing in Ohio could attend the institution. Eleven students enrolled at the Ohio Institution for the Education of the Blind this first year. The school initially had a maximum capacity of sixty students, but upon moving to a new building in 1874, more than three hundred students could attend at one time. Between 1839 and 1901, 2,058 students enrolled at the Ohio Institution for the Education of the Blind, with 339 attending in 1901 alone.
In the early 1900s, the Ohio Institution for the Education of the Blind became known as the Ohio State School for the Blind, and the Ohio Department of Education assumed control of the school. In 1953, the school moved ten miles north of its original location to its present home. In 2005, 126 students enrolled in the Ohio State School for the Blind. Students as young as three and as old as twenty-one years of age attended the school. Students could receive their entire education (kindergarten through high school) at the institution. In addition, the Ohio State School for the Blind offered vocational training for its students. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B11F02_057_001
Subjects: United States. Work Projects Administration; Blind--Education--Ohio; Ohio State School for the Blind; Truss Bridges Ohio
Places: Columbus (Ohio); Franklin County (Ohio)
Image ID: SA1039AV_B11F02_057_001
Subjects: United States. Work Projects Administration; Blind--Education--Ohio; Ohio State School for the Blind; Truss Bridges Ohio
Places: Columbus (Ohio); Franklin County (Ohio)
Ohio State School for the Blind arithmetic board Save

Description: 6" x 7.5" photograph of an arithmetic board from a collection of models for the Ohio State School for the Blind. The arithmetic board, a solid wood frame, had indented pockets, into which fit the 24 hearts used to teach arithmetic problems. The heart figures were made of compressed wood and painted in a primary color in contrast with the board. The layout of four different lines of figures allowed instruction in multiplication, addition, subtraction or fractions. Other arithmetic boards had figures of crescents, diamonds, circles, squares and stars. The process of using arithmetic boards was similar to the use of paper and pencil, but units were more easily understood than their numerical symbol. The model dimensions: width 14", height 9.5".
Photographs and descriptions of models were included in the book "Models for the Blind," compiled by workers of the Ohio Writers' Program. The book was meant as a guide, to be used in the building and study of models, and as documentation of the achievements at the Ohio State School for the Blind. The models were a result of research, design and construction by employees of the Works Projects Administration. Models were made of durable materials to withstand regular usage. The average cost of labor for larger models was $45. A special room was built to store the models where teachers could borrow them to be used in classroom instruction.
In 1837, the Ohio government established the Ohio Institution for the Education of the Blind. This institution was the predecessor of the Ohio State School for the Blind. It was the first public school for the blind in the United States. It was the first in the nation to be created and maintained entirely by the State government. The school opened its doors in 1839, and it was located in downtown Columbus, Ohio. Any blind children residing in Ohio could attend the institution. Eleven students enrolled at the Ohio Institution for the Education of the Blind this first year. The school initially had a maximum capacity of sixty students, but upon moving to a new building in 1874, more than three hundred students could attend at one time. Between 1839 and 1901, 2,058 students enrolled at the Ohio Institution for the Education of the Blind, with 339 attending in 1901 alone.
In the early 1900s, the Ohio Institution for the Education of the Blind became known as the Ohio State School for the Blind, and the Ohio Department of Education assumed control of the school. In 1953, the school moved ten miles north of its original location to its present home. In 2005, 126 students enrolled in the Ohio State School for the Blind. Students as young as three and as old as twenty-one years of age attended the school. Students could receive their entire education (kindergarten through high school) at the institution. In addition, the Ohio State School for the Blind offered vocational training for its students. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B11F02_060_001
Subjects: United States. Work Projects Administration; Blind--Education--Ohio; Ohio State School for the Blind; Arithmetic Study and teaching
Places: Columbus (Ohio); Franklin County (Ohio)
Image ID: SA1039AV_B11F02_060_001
Subjects: United States. Work Projects Administration; Blind--Education--Ohio; Ohio State School for the Blind; Arithmetic Study and teaching
Places: Columbus (Ohio); Franklin County (Ohio)
Ohio State School for the Blind model guillotine Save

Description: Photograph of a guillotine from a collection of models for the Ohio State School for the Blind. The guillotine is an instrument used to carry out executions by decapitation. The most historic use was during the "Reign of Terror" during the French Revolution. This model guillotine is a replica on which Charlotte Corday was executed for the assassination of Jean-Paul Marat. Model dimensions: length 12", width 12.5", height 37". Photograph is 5" x 7".
Photographs and descriptions of models were included in the book "Models for the Blind," compiled by workers of the Ohio Writers' Program. The book was meant as a guide, to be used in the building and study of models, and as documentation of the achievements at the Ohio State School for the Blind. The models were a result of research, design and construction by employees of the Works Projects Administration. Models were made of durable materials to withstand regular usage. The average cost of labor for larger models was $45. A special room was built to store the models where teachers could borrow them to be used in classroom instruction.
In 1837, the Ohio government established the Ohio Institution for the Education of the Blind. This institution was the predecessor of the Ohio State School for the Blind. It was the first public school for the blind in the United States. It was the first in the nation to be created and maintained entirely by the State government. The school opened its doors in 1839, and it was located in downtown Columbus, Ohio. Any blind children residing in Ohio could attend the institution. Eleven students enrolled at the Ohio Institution for the Education of the Blind this first year. The school initially had a maximum capacity of sixty students, but upon moving to a new building in 1874, more than three hundred students could attend at one time. Between 1839 and 1901, 2,058 students enrolled at the Ohio Institution for the Education of the Blind, with 339 attending in 1901 alone.
In the early 1900s, the Ohio Institution for the Education of the Blind became known as the Ohio State School for the Blind, and the Ohio Department of Education assumed control of the school. In 1953, the school moved ten miles north of its original location to its present home. In 2005, 126 students enrolled in the Ohio State School for the Blind. Students as young as three and as old as twenty-one years of age attended the school. Students could receive their entire education (kindergarten through high school) at the institution. In addition, the Ohio State School for the Blind offered vocational training for its students. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B11F02_059_001
Subjects: United States. Work Projects Administration; Blind--Education--Ohio; Ohio State School for the Blind; Guillotine
Places: Columbus (Ohio); Franklin County (Ohio)
Image ID: SA1039AV_B11F02_059_001
Subjects: United States. Work Projects Administration; Blind--Education--Ohio; Ohio State School for the Blind; Guillotine
Places: Columbus (Ohio); Franklin County (Ohio)
Ohio State School for the Blind Ohio electrical map Save

Description: 3" x 4" photograph of an Ohio electrical map from a collection of models for the Ohio State School for the Blind. The map is constructed of one-quarter inch plywood. Grooved boundaries in the wood can be easily traced by a finger. County names are listed on the each side of map in braille. County seats are marked by a Mallory jack inserted in the plywood and wired to an electric buzzer. The Ohio map has 88 counties and county seats. Making a correct connection between the county and its county seat will result in a loud buzzer sound. For instance, placing of the plugs in the Columbus and Franklin county jacks will respond in a loud buzzer. No response is obtained if placed in the wrong jack. There was a similar electrical map of the United States. The model is width 59.5", height 49".
Photographs and descriptions of models were included in the book "Models for the Blind," compiled by workers of the Ohio Writers' Program. The book was meant as a guide, to be used in the building and study of models, and as documentation of the achievements at the Ohio State School for the Blind. The models were a result of research, design and construction by employees of the Works Projects Administration. Models were made of durable materials to withstand regular usage. The average cost of labor for larger models was $45. A special room was built to store the models where teachers could borrow them to be used in classroom instruction.
In 1837, the Ohio government established the Ohio Institution for the Education of the Blind. This institution was the predecessor of the Ohio State School for the Blind. It was the first public school for the blind in the United States. It was the first in the nation to be created and maintained entirely by the State government. The school opened its doors in 1839, and it was located in downtown Columbus, Ohio. Any blind children residing in Ohio could attend the institution. Eleven students enrolled at the Ohio Institution for the Education of the Blind this first year. The school initially had a maximum capacity of sixty students, but upon moving to a new building in 1874, more than three hundred students could attend at one time. Between 1839 and 1901, 2,058 students enrolled at the Ohio Institution for the Education of the Blind, with 339 attending in 1901 alone.
In the early 1900s, the Ohio Institution for the Education of the Blind became known as the Ohio State School for the Blind, and the Ohio Department of Education assumed control of the school. In 1953, the school moved ten miles north of its original location to its present home. In 2005, 126 students enrolled in the Ohio State School for the Blind. Students as young as three and as old as twenty-one years of age attended the school. Students could receive their entire education (kindergarten through high school) at the institution. In addition, the Ohio State School for the Blind offered vocational training for its students. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B11F02_012_001
Subjects: United States. Work Projects Administration; Blind--Education--Ohio; Ohio State School for the Blind; Maps
Places: Columbus (Ohio); Franklin County (Ohio)
Image ID: SA1039AV_B11F02_012_001
Subjects: United States. Work Projects Administration; Blind--Education--Ohio; Ohio State School for the Blind; Maps
Places: Columbus (Ohio); Franklin County (Ohio)
Ohio State School for the Blind photograph Save

Description: This photograph shows two female students with a female teacher engaged in a classroom activity at the Ohio State School for the Blind, ca. 1960-1970. The students are working with sewing machines; the instructor is standing next to one student helping her guide fabric through the machine. Sheets of paper and images are pinned to a bulletin board hanging on a wall next to the students. Also visible in the background are a window with striped curtains and a radiator.
In 1837 the Ohio government established the Ohio Institution for the Education of the Blind, the predecessor to the Ohio State School for the Blind. It was the first public school for the blind in the United States. Located in downtown Columbus, the school opened its doors in 1839. Any blind children residing in Ohio could attend the institution. Eleven students enrolled at the Ohio Institution for the Education of the Blind this first year.
The school initially had a maximum capacity of sixty students, but a move to a new building in 1874 increased the capacity to than three hundred students at a time. Between 1839 and 1901, a total of 2,058 students enrolled at the Ohio Institution for the Education of the Blind, with 339 attending in 1901 alone.
In the early 1900s the Ohio Institution for the Education of the Blind became known as the Ohio State School for the Blind, and the Ohio Department of Education assumed control of the school. In 1953 the school moved ten miles north of its original location to its present home. In 2005, 126 students enrolled in the Ohio State School for the Blind. Students as young as three and as old as twenty-one years of age attended the school. Students could receive their entire education—kindergarten through high school—at the institution. The Ohio State School for the Blind also offers vocational training for its students.
View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL06649
Subjects: Ohio State School for the Blind; Blind--Education; Sewing; Education; Students
Places: Columbus (Ohio); Franklin County (Ohio)
Image ID: AL06649
Subjects: Ohio State School for the Blind; Blind--Education; Sewing; Education; Students
Places: Columbus (Ohio); Franklin County (Ohio)
Ohio State School for the Blind photograph Save

Description: This photograph shows a young man making a broom at the Ohio School for the Blind, ca. 1960-1970. An adult male in a business suit stands next to the student, who is using a machine to tie the broom's bristles.
In 1837 the Ohio government established the Ohio Institution for the Education of the Blind, the predecessor to the Ohio State School for the Blind. It was the first public school for the blind in the United States. Located in downtown Columbus, the school opened its doors in 1839. Any blind children residing in Ohio could attend the institution. Eleven students enrolled at the Ohio Institution for the Education of the Blind this first year. The school initially had a maximum capacity of sixty students, but a move to a new building in 1874 increased the capacity to than three hundred students at a time. Between 1839 and 1901, a total of 2,058 students enrolled at the Ohio Institution for the Education of the Blind, with 339 attending in 1901 alone.
In the early 1900s the Ohio Institution for the Education of the Blind became known as the Ohio State School for the Blind, and the Ohio Department of Education assumed control of the school. In 1953 the school moved ten miles north of its original location to its present home. In 2005, 126 students enrolled in the Ohio State School for the Blind. Students as young as three and as old as twenty-one years of age attended the school. Students could receive their entire education—kindergarten through high school—at the institution. The Ohio State School for the Blind also offers vocational training for its students.
View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL06650
Subjects: Ohio State School for the Blind; Blind--Education; Education; Students; Men
Places: Columbus (Ohio); Franklin County (Ohio)
Image ID: AL06650
Subjects: Ohio State School for the Blind; Blind--Education; Education; Students; Men
Places: Columbus (Ohio); Franklin County (Ohio)
Playing organ, Ohio State School for the Blind, photograph Save

Description: This photograph shows two adults, a man and a woman, observing a young man playing the organ at the Ohio School for the Blind, Columbus, ca. 1960-1970.
In 1837 the Ohio government established the Ohio Institution for the Education of the Blind, the predecessor to the Ohio State School for the Blind. It was the first public school for the blind in the United States. Located in downtown Columbus, the school opened its doors in 1839. Any blind children residing in Ohio could attend the institution. Eleven students enrolled at the Ohio Institution for the Education of the Blind this first year. The school initially had a maximum capacity of sixty students, but a move to a new building in 1874 increased the capacity to than three hundred students at a time. Between 1839 and 1901, a total of 2,058 students enrolled at the Ohio Institution for the Education of the Blind, with 339 attending in 1901 alone.
In the early 1900s the Ohio Institution for the Education of the Blind became known as the Ohio State School for the Blind, and the Ohio Department of Education assumed control of the school. In 1953 the school moved ten miles north of its original location to its present home. In 2005, 126 students enrolled in the Ohio State School for the Blind. Students as young as three and as old as twenty-one years of age attended the school. Students could receive their entire education—kindergarten through high school—at the institution. The Ohio State School for the Blind also offers vocational training for its students.
View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL06651
Subjects: Ohio State School for the Blind; Blind--Education; Musical instruments; Organ (Musical instrument); Education; Students
Places: Columbus (Ohio); Franklin County (Ohio)
Image ID: AL06651
Subjects: Ohio State School for the Blind; Blind--Education; Musical instruments; Organ (Musical instrument); Education; Students
Places: Columbus (Ohio); Franklin County (Ohio)
Ohio State School for the Blind bolted blocks Save

Description: 3" x 4" photograph of bolted blocks from the collection of models for the Ohio State School for the Blind. The sets of square wooden blocks and steel bolts consisted of three blocks of equal size and their corresponding size of bolt. Bolts fit into holes in the center of the blocks. The blocks and bolts were stored in small boxes made of plywood when not in use. The objective was to find the set of three blocks of the same size with the same sized hole, and then bolt them together with a bolt of the correct size. The block sets helped manual dexterity and coordination.
Photographs and descriptions of models were included in the book "Models for the Blind," compiled by workers of the Ohio Writers' Program. The book was meant as a guide, to be used in the building and study of models, and as documentation of the achievements at the Ohio State School for the Blind. The models were a result of research, design and construction by employees of the Works Projects Administration. Models were made of durable materials to withstand regular usage. The average cost of labor for larger models was $45. A special room was built to store the models where teachers could borrow them to be used in classroom instruction.
In 1837, the Ohio government established the Ohio Institution for the Education of the Blind. This institution was the predecessor of the Ohio State School for the Blind. It was the first public school for the blind in the United States. It was the first in the nation to be created and maintained entirely by the State government. The school opened its doors in 1839, and it was located in downtown Columbus, Ohio. Any blind children residing in Ohio could attend the institution. Eleven students enrolled at the Ohio Institution for the Education of the Blind this first year. The school initially had a maximum capacity of sixty students, but upon moving to a new building in 1874, more than three hundred students could attend at one time. Between 1839 and 1901, 2,058 students enrolled at the Ohio Institution for the Education of the Blind, with 339 attending in 1901 alone.
In the early 1900s, the Ohio Institution for the Education of the Blind became known as the Ohio State School for the Blind, and the Ohio Department of Education assumed control of the school. In 1953, the school moved ten miles north of its original location to its present home. In 2005, 126 students enrolled in the Ohio State School for the Blind. Students as young as three and as old as twenty-one years of age attended the school. Students could receive their entire education (kindergarten through high school) at the institution. In addition, the Ohio State School for the Blind offered vocational training for its students. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B11F02_016_001
Subjects: United States. Work Projects Administration; Blind--Education--Ohio; Ohio State School for the Blind; Bolts and nuts
Places: Columbus (Ohio); Franklin County (Ohio)
Image ID: SA1039AV_B11F02_016_001
Subjects: United States. Work Projects Administration; Blind--Education--Ohio; Ohio State School for the Blind; Bolts and nuts
Places: Columbus (Ohio); Franklin County (Ohio)