1840s Rev. Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet ALS Signed Letter Hartford Retreat Rockwell For Sale

Offered here is an original autograph letter signed by Rev. Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet (1787–1851), the pioneering American educator and co-founder of the American School for the Deaf in Hartford, Connecticut.

This brief but historically rich note is addressed to Dr. Rockwell or Mr. Talcott at the Hartford Retreat for the Insane (founded 1824, today the Institute of Living). Gallaudet requests their attention on behalf of a Mr. Doggett, who wished to be shown around as a visitor. These small, personal introductions were a common courtesy in the 19th century, and this example directly ties Gallaudet to Hartford’s overlapping reform movements in education and medicine.

The Hartford Retreat was one of the earliest American mental health institutions, founded by Hartford’s leading families (including the Talcotts). Its early physicians and administrators were closely linked with Connecticut’s religious and educational leaders — Gallaudet among them.

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Biographical Note:

Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet (1787–1851) was a trailblazer in American education for the deaf. After studying educational methods in Europe, he returned to Hartford and, with Laurent Clerc, co-founded the American School for the Deaf in 1817 — the first permanent school of its kind in the United States.

His legacy endures in the institution named for him, Gallaudet University, which remains the world’s premier university for the deaf and hard of hearing.

This autograph connects Gallaudet not only to his groundbreaking work in education but also to Hartford’s wider reformist community, represented here by the Retreat and its leading figures.

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Full Transcription:

Front:

Dr. Rockwell

or

Mr. Talcott,

May I commend to your kind attention Mr. Doggett, who has a wish to see what you show to visitors.

Yrs truly,

T. H. Gallaudet

Address panel (verso):

Dr. Rockwell

or Mr. Talcott,

at the Retreat

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Condition:

Single sheet, folded as addressed. Some light toning, edge wear, and creases consistent with age. Ink remains bold and legible.

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An outstanding association piece linking Rev. T. H. Gallaudet — one of the most important figures in American educational history — with the early Hartford Retreat for the Insane. Rarely seen on the market, especially with such strong institutional and Hartford connections.