127-Year-Old Korean Braille Textbook Preserved

The Only Surviving Copy Created by Rosetta Hall
A Pioneering Textbook for the Visually Impaired in Korea

'Rosetta Hall Korean Braille Textbook' after preservation treatment.

The National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage announced on May 6 that it has completed preservation treatment of the nationally registered cultural property, the "Rosetta Hall Korean Braille textbook."

The Rosetta Hall Korean Braille textbook is a Korean language textbook for the visually impaired created by American missionary Rosetta Sherwood Hall. In 1897, Hall developed Korean Braille based on the four-dot New York Braille system, and transcribed parts of "Chohak Eonmun," the Korean learning book from Paichai School, into Braille for use in educating students at the Pyongyang Women's School.

This textbook, made by puncturing thick, oil-treated paper with a needle, is the only remaining copy. Prior to preservation, the cover featured Rosetta Hall's (1865-1951) handwritten inscription, but the main text was severely damaged—with broken binding cords, folded and torn pages, and significant wear. The oil-treated paper had also turned brown, and the Braille dots were worn down or damaged.

Analysis revealed that the book's pages were made by layering at least two sheets of oil-treated mulberry bark fiber paper. Multiple layers of tough hanji were used to withstand the needle punctures. Oil-treated hanji is water-resistant and has a smooth surface, making it well-suited for tactile reading.

Preservation Treatment Reinforcement Process.

The institute disassembled the damaged main text and cover, removed dust and foreign substances from the surface, and reinforced damaged areas using dyed mulberry fiber paper. The binding cord, believed to be a later addition, was removed and replaced with a new, dyed cord for rebinding.

After preservation treatment, the textbook will be returned to its holding institution, the Daegu University Museum, where it will be used for future exhibitions and other purposes.

Hall, an American missionary and educator, founded the Pyongyang Women's School in Joseon from 1890 and was the first to invent Korean Braille, making significant contributions to women's healthcare and education.

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