Material from Dr. Lane’s breakthrough book When the Mind Hears, originally published in 1984 by Random House. Presented as an “autobiography” of Laurent Clerc, this book is also a study of the struggle between oralist and manualist methods of deaf education and a survey of early educators of the deaf. The bulk of this series is arranged following the chapters of the book, with Dr. Lane’s notes and research material presented for each chapter. The series also includes an extensive card catalog of research and topic references that Dr. Lane created while researching this book. These catalog cards refer to an extensive collection of photocopied texts that Dr. Lane used for research; these copies are held separately by the Gallaudet University Archives.

Also includes various post-publication materials, including an uncorrected proof copy of the book, reviews, correspondence with the publisher and translators, and correspondence and scripts related to a potential adaptation of the book for British television. This adaptation was broadcast under the title Pictures in the Mind on the ITV channel in 1987.