Helen Keller 'Doll' Photo Turns Up
A recently uncovered 1888 photo of Helen Keller and her teacher, Anne Sullivan, is notable because it shows the young Keller holding a doll. "Doll" was the first word the "Miracle Worker" Sullivan spelled out for her blind, deaf student — who amazed the world by learning to read and write.
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STEVE INSKEEP, host:
We have more documentation this morning of one of the more moving stories in American history. It's the story of Helen Keller. She learned to read and write even though she was blind and deaf.
In 1887 her teacher, Anne Sullivan, spelled out words for Helen Keller in her hand, and the next year they posed for a photograph, which has recently been uncovered. You can find this picture on the Internet.
She's sitting outside in a Victorian dress. The little girl is holding one of the dolls that she loved. One of the first words Sullivan spelled in Helen Keller's hand was the word doll. It helped to open the world of language to a woman whose story would inspire the world.
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