'It's something extraordinary': New museum display celebrates life of Deaf sailor Gerry Hughes
The inspirational Riverside Museum display tells the story of Deaf teacher and sailor Dr Gerry Hughes
As a schoolboy, Gerry Hughes scribbled the words “One day I will go like Sir Francis” on the cover of a magazine.
That childhood prophecy came true in 2005 when broke a record on a solo circumnavigation of the globe via the Five Great Capes.
Dr Hughes’s achievement was all the more remarkable as he is Deaf - and had overcome serious literacy challenges at school.
Now his remarkable story is told in a new display at Glasgow’s Riverside Museum.
A Quest and a Legacy explores Dr Hughes’ journey as a teacher, pioneering sailor and advocate for the Deaf community.
The display, curated with the help of other Deaf people, describes the vital roles of education, British Sign Language (BSL) and family support played in shaping his life.
Dr Hughes, from Glasgow, said: “Sign language is the root of everything I am, and everything I have achieved.”
The teacher said he has faced discrimination throughout his life, yet was determined to overcome barriers and discrimination.
READ MORE:Peter Murrell has legal aid pulled
Dr Hughes added: “This display shows that Glasgow has pride in its deaf community.
“For years and years, deaf people struggled to have their language and culture recognised.
“Deaf children visit museums and see lots of interesting objects.
“Sometimes they have access to translations in BSL.
“Now they have a display that is about a deaf person, just like them.”
Visitors will see objects from different periods in Dr Hughes life, from his school days to his pioneering sailing career.
His school jotter, including an essay entitled Why Speech is Important, reveals the beliefs Gerry was taught as a child about the importance of speaking and being understood by hearing people, over curriculum teaching.
His school reports repeatedly highlight his difficulties with literacy and the need to make himself understood.
Alongside these are objects that tell of Dr Hughes determination to become a teacher, including a newspaper article celebrating his graduation.
He became Scotland’s first Deaf teacher in more than 100 years.
One of the most personal objects in the display is a copy of Salute to Sir Francis, a magazine dedicated to the sailor Sir Francis Chichester, on which a young Gerry wrote: “One day I will go like Sir Francis.”
It marked the beginning of a dream that would culminate in him becoming the first profoundly deaf man to solo circumnavigate the globe via the Five Great Capes.
Objects from that expedition, including his OSTAR Half Crown memento from the 2005 Single-Handed Transatlantic Race, tell how that childhood ambition became reality.
A barometer and clock that once belonged to Gerry’s father also feature in the display, adding a personal connection to the journey.
Among the first to visit A Quest and a Legacy were Deaf pupils from St Roch’s Secondary School’s Department of Deaf Education.
They were invited to meet Dr Hughes and celebrate the opening of the display and the importance of BSL in creating opportunities for Deaf people.
Katrina Cuthill, Deputy Head Teacher at St Roch’s, said: “For our pupils, seeing someone like Gerry celebrated in a museum is incredibly powerful.
“They can see a Deaf person who has faced challenges, followed his dreams and achieved something extraordinary.
“It shows them that being Deaf doesn’t have to limit what they can achieve, and that their language, their identity and their stories deserve to be seen and celebrated too.”
Comments
Want to join the conversation? Please or to comment on this article.