Regina Olson Hughes: Illustrative Work and Biography Report

This report provides a biographical overview of Regina Olson Hughes, a deaf scientific illustrator who made significant contributions to the fields of art and science. It highlights her early life, including her experience with deafness and her education at Gallaudet University. The report details her career, including her work as a translator and her employment in the Department of Agriculture, where she produced numerous illustrations. It also discusses her artistic achievements, such as her solo exhibition at the Smithsonian Institution and the naming of plant species in her honor. The report emphasizes her passion for flowers, her artistic style, and her lasting impact on the scientific and artistic communities, offering insights into her life, work, and legacy.

Running head: Regina Olson Hughes
Regina Olson Hughes
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1Regina Olson Hughes
Born in the year 1895, Regina Hughes is the popular deaf scientific illustrator who contributed in
science with her own love for flowers
Her fascination over flowers was so much that if she was given money to buy ice creams,
she would instead buy flower seeds. She became deaf at the age of 14 and became very skillful
in sign language after enrolling herself in the Gallaudet University. In 1923, she married Dr.
Frederick Hughes and lived in the Gallaudet campus for thirty years. The time in which women
were could entry work, she worked as a language translator in the state department (Chu, 2014).
In 1925, she was employed by the department of agriculture. Her illustrations were published in
several textbooks as well. In the internal Exhibition of Fine and applied arts, her oil paintings
were shown. Her paintings were exhibited in solo as well as in the group shows. She received
many awards among which the honorary doctorate from Gallaudet University is one of them. she
is the only deaf artist who had a solo exhibition at the Smithsonian Institution. Plant species like
Hughesia reginae and Billbergia reginae were named after her (Brigelius-Flohé, 2018).
The Estate of Regina Hughes contributed a number of letters, photos, and illustrations to
the Gallaudet University. Her amazing work is characterized by her performance. However the
enthusiasm of her for life and beauty lies n her sketches and in her paintings.

2Regina Olson Hughes
References
Brigelius-Flohé, R. (2018). Selenium in human health and disease: An overview. In Selenium (pp. 3-26).
Springer, Cham.
Chu, R. J. (2014). Empowerment online: Feminist adult learning strategies. Creative Education, 5(03),
141.