Category Archives: History of the blind

Cold cases: The snake-oil salesman and the thief

Posted on July 27, 2025 by Parisian Fields

Let it never be said that archival research is dull. My recent forays into the archives at the Institut national des Jeunes Aveugles uncovered a crime nearly 200 years old, and a con man who exploited a legal loophole to … Continue reading →

Posted in History of the blind, Paris crime, Paris history | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

The music master

Posted on June 1, 2025 by Parisian Fields

I have recently returned from a 10-day research trip to Paris for a book on Charles Barbier. Over the years, I have pegged away at this project, taking a day here, a day there for research during our visits, but … Continue reading →

Posted in History of the blind, Paris history, Paris music | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

The private life of a public man

Posted on November 10, 2024 by Parisian Fields

When our friend Mireille in Paris asked me to research the descendants of Valentin Haüy, the man who pioneered education for blind children, my first reaction was, “Wait – he had children?” I knew about Haüy’s work with blind students. … Continue reading →

Posted in History of the blind, Paris cemeteries, Paris history | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

How blind people learned to write: the truth can be told

Posted on June 20, 2021 by Parisian Fields

Exactly 200 years ago, in June 1821, a crucial experiment was taking place in a school on the rue St-Victor in Paris. The school was the Institution Royale des Jeunes Aveugles (the Royal Institution for Blind Youth) and the students … Continue reading →

Posted in Charles Barbier, History of the blind, Paris cemeteries, Paris history, Paris museums | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 28 Comments

Stepping back into the river

Posted on June 17, 2019 by Parisian Fields

Hello again. Rebonjour. Our sabbatical from blogging lasted a year. We are uncertain about how and how often we will continue, but we did want to say hello to our readers (if you are still there) and post an update. … Continue reading →

Posted in History of the blind, Paris civic functions, Paris streets, Paris travel | Tagged , , , , | 18 Comments

A web of friends and a ceremony in a former corset factory

Posted on June 17, 2018 by Parisian Fields

For many, Paris is the City of Light, grand museums, or extravagant shopping forays. For us, it is the City of Surprises, and now, a city of friends. Several years ago, when we started research on the history of communications … Continue reading →

Posted in History of the blind, Paris architecture | Tagged , , , , , , | 21 Comments