Get to know the Gallaudet Archives

Gallaudet doesn’t just nurture future generations. We also work to preserve the long history of the Deaf, DeafBlind, DeafDisabled, and hard of hearing people all over the world.

The Gallaudet Archives hosts thousands of items that tell the story of Gallaudet’s institutional history, as well as the story of the global Deaf community. Those items are painstakingly collected and preserved by the Archives staff, including Jim McCarthy.

March 2025 will mark Jim’s fourth year as the Archives Director. His journey to archivist work began years earlier, when he was looking to change careers. A friend told him about a nearby library degree program, and the rest is history. Jim got a graduate degree, found his way to the Gallaudet Library, then transitioned to the Archives.

What is a day in the life of an archivist? “Every day is different,” Jim says. “Some days I sit in meetings with on-campus staff who want to give us old papers related to Gallaudet history. Other times I might drive to another city to collect film from an old Deaf Church that closed, and bring the film home. There’s no regular day at this job.”

That variety extends to the scope of the Archives collection. The warehouse holds mementos like old photos, videos, papers, and books. But it’s not as simple as just putting everything in a chest and locking it away. Keeping items preserved safely requires technical knowledge and loving care. We asked Jim about the challenges of archiving, his favorite piece, and more.

How does the Gallaudet Archives get historical items?

Jim: We get most of our items from alumni. The next biggest donor is community organizations. For example, the International Committee of Sports for the Deaf (ICSD) gave us all of their business papers, from 1924 to now. We also get items when people bequest things.

Most of our artwork–over 2,000 pieces–is from donations like that. People value Gallaudet and want to give back to us. It’s really touching.

How do you preserve old photos?

Jim: Photos are an interesting challenge to preserve. Old photos tend to have a layer of chemicals. We have to precisely control the temperature and humidity. For example, we have some silver nitrate photo negatives that could easily combust. Some film studios lost their entire collections because of that chemical. And we have it in our collection! It’s important to make sure conditions are cold and dry.

How do you preserve video?

Jim: We have different kinds of videos, like large circular reels, VHS, Betamax, and more. Most have their own special preservation techniques. Our biggest priority is to prevent degradation. Old reels can develop “vinegar syndrome”. When the reels react with air and start smelling like vinegar, you know they’ve degraded. VHS will start smelling like crayons. When we get old videos, we digitize them right away.

How do you preserve paper records?

Jim: Even compared to old photos and videos, paper is our biggest challenge. Most paper before the 1880s was produced using acid. You’ve probably seen old paper that’s turned yellow and become brittle. For example, our papers from Pennsylvania Institute for the Deaf span from the 1800s to the 1900s. It was a huge challenge to scan them. Monitoring the humidity and temperature is the key for any collection.

What’s one item in the Archives collection you find really fascinating?

What’s the biggest item you have in the Archives?

Jim: The biggest thing we have in our archives isn’t inside. It’s outside. Almost all of the public art pieces on campus belong to the Archives. We have sculptures and columns. Chuck Baird had a project at MSSD–although it has degraded over the years.

Our biggest item in the Archives is the entire Gallaudet campus.

How can readers learn more about the Archives? How can they stay connected?

If you want to learn more about the Archives, we have our website. We have a digital collection with most of our photos, and different magazines and yearbooks. All of it online and ready for you to view.

We also have a monthly newsletter on the first Monday of the month. We always try to include interesting facts about Deaf history, our collection, our donors, or alumni. There’s always something interesting every month.

If you have something you want to donate to the Archives, contact us to discuss. Even if this isn’t the right place, we can help you find the right home for your items.

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Did you know that the Gallaudet Archives played a big role in the Deaf President Now! documentary that premiered at Sundance Film Festival in January 2025?  Jim shared how they worked with film producers to bring the DPN protests to life.

Want to learn more about the history of the Gallaudet Archives? Library Journal did a deep dive in January 2025.