Description
Book SynopsisThis is the story, in words and pictures, of Blind Veterans UK, an organization that was founded 100 years ago by Sir Arthur Pearson, who was himself blind, during the First World War, in order to bring hope and practical help to British and Allied servicemen blinded in the service of their country. It also tells of how light from the torch which Pearson lit in 1915 spread to all corners of the earth, to which his beloved St Dunstaners returned, having 'graduated' from the mother organization in Regent's Park - for example, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, South Africa. Herewith are accounts of the lives of many St Dunstaner's/Blind Veterans, who each in his or her unique way, triumphed over blindness, together with a unique collection of photographs, including those provided by Blind Veteran's UK, by the Pearson family, and by the families of St Dunstaners throughout the world. And this includes the story of my own grandfather, Thomas Waldin, who was himself a St Dunstaner.
Table of ContentsBlind Veterans UK; Author's Note; Acknowledgements; Preface; 1, Arthur Pearson: Early Life. 2, Pearson's Weekly. 3, Pearson's Fresh Air Fund. 4, Pearson Remarries: Frensham Place. 5, Pearson the Newspaper Proprietor. 6, Pearson and the Search for the Giant Sloth. 7, C. Arthur Pearson Ltd. 8, Pearson and the Scout Movement. 9, Pearson and the National Institute for the Blind. 10, Pearson and the Founding of St Dunstan's. 11, The Newcomer to St Dunstan's. 12, St Dunstan's Goes from Strength to Strength. 13, Types of Eye Injury and their Treatment. 14, Pearson's Brainchild in Operation. 15, Aftercare. 16, Gladys Cooper and St Dunstan's. 17, Pearson and the Secret of His Success. 18, The 'Chief ' Visits the Front. 19, Further Developments at St Dunstan's. 20, The Armistice and Beyond. 21, Some British St Dunstaners. 22, Some St Dunstaners from Overseas. 23, Pearson and Helen Keller. 24, Richard King Huskinson. 25, Death of the 'Chief '. 26, St Dunstan's Without Pearson. 27, The Second World War. 28, The Great Work Continues. 29, Post-War Timeline of Events. Epilogue; Appendices; Endnotes; Bibliography; Index.
