A collection of documents relating to several organisations involved in social and education work for the deaf. The documents date from the 1960s to the mid-1980s, and were accumulated by Richard Goulden as a result of his membership and association with these groups.
The Goulden Collection is an important collection for the history of Deaf activism, education of the deaf and Deaf community groups from the 1960s to the 1980s. It provides valuable insights into the changing nature of the UK Deaf community and its supporters and their social, educational and political activities in this period. Groups and organisations which feature prominently in the archive include the Breakthrough Trust (now known as deafPlus), the British Deaf Association, the National Union of the Deaf, the Hamilton Lodge School, Brighton and its alumni group, the Old Hamiltonians Association, the Sixty Six Club for Young Deaf Adults, and regional groups such as the Midland Deaf Club and the Spurs Club (London).
The nature of the material is varied paperwork including copies of organizational minutes and accounts, reports, newsletters and magazines, promotional literature, notices of social events and meetings, and correspondence (mostly in the form of circular letters). The collection has a regional bias towards London and the south-east of England (where Goulden was lived and worked).
The significance of the Goulden Collection is that it relates to an important period in Deaf activism. Mr Goulden's involvement with a wide range of different groups, both traditional and innovative, means that the documents he accumulated provide an invaluable snapshot of views and activities during this period. It includes material on some key issues such as the debates over 'oralism' and sign language, new assistance technologies for the Deaf, the role of Deaf schools, and the involvement of the Deaf in issues which directly related to their everyday lives.