Following Helen’s Fingertips
A Deep Dive into Helen Keller’s Bible
Helen Keller’s birthday is this month, and to celebrate we took a deep dive into what we can learn about her life from artifacts we have access to today.
Nearly a century ago, APH printed a braille Bible for Helen Keller, and one volume remains in our collection. A recent research project on its worn pages has uncovered new insights into how tactile reading leaves its mark over time and gives us insight into how Helen may have engaged with this text.
Why Research?
Earlier this spring, a postdoctoral scholar of English and Film Studies at the University of Alberta visited APH to explore our collection of texts written in various tactile codes. Ellen Forget, PhD, is writing a chapter for the Routledge Companion to Book Studies called “Reading Bodies and Tactile Books: How Books and Bodies Interact.” As tactile books wear down through use, Helen Keller’s 1928 braille Bible offered a valuable case study. To support the project, Ellen worked with Jessica Minneci, APH’s Inclusive Content and Programs Specialist for The Dot Experience and an experienced braille reader.
About Helen’s Bible
Published in 1928, and embossed right here at APH, this volume containing the book of Psalms is especially notable for its use of braille grade one and a half, a system no longer in use. Using 44 contractions, as opposed to the 189 in modern grade 2 braille, Jessica shared that as someone used to reading braille grade 2, braille grade one and a half felt like a whole new language. When transcribing the worn passages, Jessica took special care to ensure the words were recorded accurately.
Tactile Findings
Before handling the Bible, Jessica washed her hands and carefully examined the volume in the AFB Helen Keller Archive at APH. “To find where the braille was faded, I felt each page of Helen’s Bible,” said Jessica. “When most braille books sit on a shelf or are displayed, pages near the binding, pages near the back, and the bottoms of pages can get really worn.” Justin Gardner, AFB Helen Keller Archivist at APH, said in the most worn passages, he could see the paper fibers themselves, and the braille looked like squished marshmallows.
Jessica further explained how her fingers identified the worn pages of the Bible. “Newly embossed braille is crisp, like feeling a pinecone under your fingers,” said Jessica. “When you read braille words multiple times, the sharp pinecone feeling dulls until it’s like touching a grain of rice. The dots are legible, but could be squashed to nothing if not handled with care.”
Artifacts give us a unique chance to observe another time and connect with people of the past. At The Dot Experience we celebrate people through their stories, lived experiences, artifacts, and more. Come meet the many facets of Helen Keller this fall.