A Significant Piece of History: Helen Keller’s Desk at The Dot Experience
Behind every writer is the environment in which their creations come to life. For Helen Keller, her desk was the birthplace of many great works. While we cannot witness Helen Keller in her office firsthand, The Dot Experience does have the next best thing: her desk displayed in a gallery accessible through touch.
About the Desk
When Helen Keller’s house, Arcan Ridge, in Connecticut, burned in 1946, her friends helped build and furnish a replacement desk, which was used from 1947 until her death in 1968. Made by the Charles Lane Company in New York City, this large, midcentury style walnut desk measures approximately six feet long and three feet wide. It has a broad work surface covered by a protective sheet of glass. Three raised wooden rails run along the back and both sides of the desktop, creating a low barrier that helped keep papers, books, and other items from accidentally sliding or being knocked off the desk–the only accessibility feature built into it. Beneath the desktop are two stacks of drawers on either side with a single center drawer, providing ample storage. Most drawers have curved, metal handles, while the center drawer has no visible pull. The desk rests on two solid, oval-shaped pedestal bases that extend from front to back.
A Prominent Feature in the Museum
When guests step into the Helen Keller gallery, they will be welcomed into a recreated version of Helen’s office in Arcan Ridge. A life-size statue of Helen herself is perched in a wooden chair at her desk with her arms outstretched and her fingers on the keys of a tactile replica of her Pyke Glauser brailler with a piece of paper inside. Surrounding the statue are various objects, including a braille clock, a 1947 Remington Rand Noiseless No. 10 typewriter (the same model Helen owned), a phone, stacks of paper, a fake plant, and tactile replicas of three busts: Tashiro Furukawa, Matsuo Basho, and Isidora Dolores Ibárruri Gómez, which was created by famous sculptor Jo Davidson. A tactile key to the items on Helen’s desk will give visitors who are blind or have low vision an even clearer understanding of Helen’s home environment.
A faux window with frosted glass inside of it imitates the outside view from Helen’s office. Shelves surrounding Helen’s desk house more items that immerse guests into the time period and Helen’s world. A replica of the key to the city of San Antonio, Helen’s real Oscar behind glass with a tactile replica, and braille books are proudly displayed for all to explore. A large radio like the one Helen had will be on the floor nearby, playing classical music that Helen loved.
“There’s a lot to explore and discover on your own in this area,” said Erin Gibbons, Operations and Program Manager at The Dot Experience. Students on school field trips will especially enjoy getting to know Helen Keller as a working woman, writer, and advocate as they fall into the sights, sounds, and feel of her home, close to how it appeared in photographs. They can pose with Helen, take their time examining each part of the exhibit, and discover the world according to Helen at that time in history.
For more fascinating stories and insights about the life of Helen Keller, listen to this Change Makers podcast, featuring Justin Gardner, AFB Helen Keller Archivist at APH, and Tony Stephens, AFB Assistant Vice President for Communications. To stay up-to-date on The Dot Experience, follow us on Facebook and Instagram.