Set up in 2006, the Deaf Museum and Archive has grown into a credible national collection consisting of numerous artefacts, deaf artwork and paper archive collections of all kinds.
We have run the Museum mostly by volunteers of the British Deaf History Society, but recently we have employed a Heritage Manager, Lydia Gaines, to look after it. The Museum is working towards becoming an accredited specialist museum with the Arts Council which will hopefully open up wider audiences. We are truly the only museum in Britain that is specific to Deafness, Deaf communities and Deaf people.
We have been closed for 16 months since March 2020 due to COVID-19 Government restrictions but we have now reopened in Manchester Deaf Centre thanks to grants from the Department of Digital Culture, Media and Sport’s (DCMS) Cultural Recovery Fund. The Research Library and the Deaf archives are now fully open and accessible if you make prior appointments. The Museum has held a series of trial openings in October and November. Full viewings and tours will be possible from February 2022 (See Events page). This is because some of our displays were damaged during the lockdown moves and are in the process of being repaired.
We will keep everyone updated as soon as possible but if you want to browse what is in the Deaf Museum below, you will see some of the artefacts and works of art available.
In 2024, we received on loan a wood carving of The Last Supper from Staffordshire Deaf Society. The carving was by Martin Ditton, the Lizard Man. This will be displayed at the earliest possibility.
