St Aidens - Helen Keller Gallery

IVY GREEN WHERE HELEN WAS BORN

ANNIE SULLIVAN 1887

This photo shows the famous water pump where Helen learned the
meaning of words. The pump is in the yard next to the Keller's guest
house, where Helen was born. The yard is framed by bushes and
trees�it is probably autumn, because there are leaves on the
ground. The metal pump has a long, curved handle and the spout is
positioned to empty into a wide metal pail. A long metal pipe goes
from the pump past the edge of the picture. Behind the pump is a
house with three side windows and a front porch.

This is a piece of Helen's early writing, completed
seven days before she turned seven (the page is
dated June 20th, 1887). The page is lined, like a
sheet in a notebook, and has words like cold,
catch, latch, load, lord, coal, doll, hat, bad, and
good-by. In Helen's handwriting, many round
letters look square, but you can easily read
everything.

Helen is standing outside on a sunny day, touching the
leaves of a tree. This picture was taken around 1914,
when she was in her early twenties. Her hair is in a
loose bun at the back of her head, and she is wearing
a long, dark dress that has a layered skirt with a high
waist. The sleeves of the dress are opaque down to
the elbow, then turn into small ruffles made of
transparent fabric.

Did you know Helen wrote and gave speeches? The video
clip here shows how Anne places Helen's hand on her lips,
throat, and nose to help Helen feel the sounds that Anne is
making.

Helen was also a gifted writer. She wrote fourteen books,
many essays, articles and speeches on everything from
her love of animals and nature to the importance of equal
opportunities for women. She also wrote about the ideas of
Swedenborg, a Swedish scientist and philosopher
(1688-1772) who believed that by helping others, you grow
and help yourself.

Anne Sullivan explains how Helen learned to speak

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Helen and her friends were very interested in political ideas. In
1909, Helen joined the suffragist movement. Suffragists
wanted equal treatment for women, including the right to
vote—which was granted in 1920. In the same year, she also
became a socialist. Helen believed that society should be
based on people's needs, not on their power or money. Over
the years, Helen would be criticised for her political opinions.

Polly Thomson, Anne Sullivan, Helen Keller, and Charlie Chaplin, 1918

In 1914, Polly Thomson began working for Helen and Anne—they were known as
"the three musketeers." In 1918 they traveled to Hollywood to make the movie
Deliverance, a silent movie about Helen's life. In the film, Helen and Anne starred as
themselves. Plus Helen met movie stars like Charlie Chaplin.

This clip from the movie shows Helen Keller flying in an old biplane.
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Annie, Helen & Henry Ford in 1920. All sorts of people wanted to meet Helen,
including Henry Ford, the man who invented the Model-T Ford automobile, one of the
most popular cars in the world at that time. Helen also met three generations of the
Rockefeller family, who formed the Standard Oil Company. The Rockefellers donated
a fortune to the arts, culture, science, politics, and national parks.

Helen Keller with a wounded soldier,
1919.

Helen was continually drawn to the
cause of the underdog. As a pacifist,
she protested against the First World
War and was one of the early
members of the American Civil
Liberties Union. In the early 1930s, as
America was dealing with the
Depression, Helen got on the radio in
New York to discuss the needs and
rights of the unemployed and the poor.