Auction details
9:00 AM PT - Feb 20th, 2012
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Tobacco Box-Made by Blind Soldiers, St. Dunston WWI. Oak cabinet with dark stain finish that contains three integrated barrels. There is a plaque on the interior of the door stating "Made by Blinded Soldiers at St. Dunstons".
Provenance: Miki and James J. Mangan III of Fairfield, CT Size: L. 11.75" x W. 6.5" x H. 12.25" Weight: 6lbs 2oz Condition: excellent original condition ********************************************************* In 1914 the Great War brought another change of direction. Soldiers were being blinded on the battlefields and began arriving at hospitals in England. Once notified of the casualties Arthur Pearson or a member of staff usually visited the young men taking them a tactile watch, symbolizing their first step to independence. Towards the end of 1914 it was agreed that more needed to be done for the blinded soldiers so Pearson, who firmly believed that they could lead useful and fulfilling lives, set his ideas in motion for a new training center with the assistance of the National Institute for the Blind. In February 1915 two blinded soldiers moved into 6 Bayswater Hill in London, a property lent by Mrs Lewis Hall a generous benefactor. This was called the Blinded Soldiers and Sailors Hostel and was only temporary whilst the new training centre was being modified. An American Banker, Otto Kahn lent his residence St Dunstan’s Lodge to Arthur Pearson for the duration of the war. This was spacious and the grounds extended over twelve acres. On 26 March 1915, sixteen blinded soldiers and sailors moved in to embark upon a revolutionary rehabilitation and training programme. The aim was to enable the majority to return to as normal a life as was possible and earn a living. St Dunstaners could choose to train in massage (physiotherapy), shorthand typing, telephone operating, poultry farming, carpentry, basket and mat making, boot and shoe repairing. Braille was also taught which enabled the individual to read and write. Some struggled to master the six dot permutation of Louis Braille’s ingenious but intricate system of reading by fingertips. Sport was a key part of rehabilitation and they enjoyed rowing, swimming, competing in walking races, goal shooting and tandem cycling. St Dunstaners formed their own band and dancing was a popular diversion. St Dunstan’s also trained blind ex-Service men from Canada, New Zealand, South Africa and Australia as they were part of the British Imperial Forces. One of the first men to undergo training was Private Charles Henry Hills who had lost his sight at Brown’s Dip, Gallipoli. He was born in Orpington, Kent and was a teamster in Australia before the war. He trained in poultry farming and returned to Australia in April 1916 to pursue this occupation. With the assistance of another sighted but disabled ex-soldier they built Charles’s new poultry farm in six months. By the end of 1918 over six hundred men had already trained, seven hundred were in training and two hundred were still in hospital. As a result of the large numbers more properties were required around the country. An annexe in Torquay was set up to treat those with other injuries on top of their sight loss, such as loss of limbs, shell shock and partial paralysis. Convalescent homes were situated at Ilkley, Blackheath, Hastings and West House in Kemp Town, Brighton, which was presented to St Dunstan’s in 1918 by the Federation of Grocers’ Association of the United Kingdom. ImagesClick on thumbnails to see larger images:
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