Light for the blind : a history of the origin and success of Moon's system of reading (embossed in various languages) for the blind / by William Moon.

  • William Moon
Date:
1873
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Light for the blind : a history of the origin and success of Moon's system of reading (embossed in various languages) for the blind / by William Moon. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    20/244 page 2
    These inventions were both unsuccessful, in conse- quence of the letters being- sunk below the surface of the wood, instead of being raised above it. In 1640, Pierre Moreau, a writing master in Paris, cast movable leaden type for the use of the Blind; but being without means to carry out his plan, he abandoned it, and devoted his time to the cutting of punches and matrices for the casting of ordinary type,—from which he printed the writing letters suited to his sighted pupils. This invention has given him a name in typographical history. Needles, inserted in cushions, were next employed. At the same time, a trial was made of large wooden letters, similar to those used in the present day for print- ing posting-bills. After these came the contrivance of blind Du Puiseaux, who at first used wooden letters, but afterwards employed a pewterer to make them of metal. Being, however, cast in sand, they were found to be too rough to be of much service. These letters appear to have been much less in size than any before used for the Blind, and were placed in a small frame with a handle, not unlike the hand-apparatus used in the present day to hold types for marking linen. In 1783, the Philanthropic Society of Paris ordered some punches and matrices to be made for casting a new type, the expense of which was defrayed by M. Rouil- le'de de l’Etang, the Treasurer of the Society. These letters, though smaller than those of Du Puiseaux, were also found to be too large for the touch of the Blind. New punches, still less in size, were then cut, and fresh type was cast,—the same as that used in Paris in the early part of the present century. The type, which consisted
    digitised image 1
    digitised image 2
    digitised image 3