Description

This small badge has a fascinating history, telling the stories of injured allied aircrewmen who Archibald McIndoe treated with experimental plastic surgery during the Second World War. Following treatment, the patients created a club to support each other during and after the war called the Guinea Pig Club, as they were the first to be treated with new methods.

This Guinea Pig badge belonged to Ronald William Ensor Humphryes, who, at the age of 20, was accidentally shot in the right eye with a flare gun. Humphryes had two operations in 1943 to reconstruct his face but lost the vision in his right eye. After the war, Humphryes moved to Hastings and became Secretary of the charity Blesma and editor of the R.A.F. Hastings newsletter.

This pin badge, along with a photograph of Humphryes, is being displayed at Hastings Museum & Art Gallery as part of the exhibition “Stored Out of Sight: Hidden History of Disabled People”.

- Jack Guy, Curating for Change Fellow, Hastings Museum

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Community curation: There are several reasons we chose objects related to Ronald William Ensor Humphryes. One of the prominent reasons was that we wanted to raise awareness and provide an opportunity to educate people about disability history.

This history is often unthought-of and underrepresented in most museums. Humphryes’ story has stayed hidden in the collection, only being recorded as it documents other events, such as the Second World War. We also hope that by sharing the stories we discovered, we can dispel myths and stereotypes about disability and that visitors see disabled people as people who lead a life like everyone else.