[History & Science] Keller, Helen. (1880 - 1968)
Autograph Quotation
Autograph quotation in bold pencil: "All sight is of the soul / Helen Keller / New York / Feb. 24 1920." On an album page measuring 4.25 x 6.75 inches and in very fine condition.Moving words from the extraordinary American author, political activist, and lecturer who, though blind, deaf, and dumb,did so many amazing things in her rich life. The present line is from Keller's poem "A Chant of Darkness," originally published in Century Magazine (May, 1908). The stanza in full reads:
"All sight is of the soul. Behold it
In the upward fight
Of the unfettered spirit! Hast thou
Seen thought bloom in the blind child's face?
Hast thou seen his mind grow,
Like the running dawn, to grasp
The vision of the Master?
It was the miracle of inward sight."
Keller was, at one time, the most famous handicapped person in the world. A severe fever at age 19 months left Keller blind and deaf. At age six Keller met Anne Sullivan (later Anne Sullivan Macy), the teacher who taught Keller the alphabet, thereby opening the world to her. Keller became an excellent student and eventually attended Radcliffe College, where she graduated with honors in 1904. While at Radcliffe she wrote an autobiography, The Story of My Life (1902), which made her famous. In later life Keller became an activist and lecturer, sometimes in support of the blind and deaf, and sometimes for causes including Socialism and women’s rights. She also founded and promoted the American Federation for the Blind. During her lifetime Keller was regarded as one of America’s most inspirational figures. Her story was told in a 1962 film starring Anne Bancroft as Sullivan and Patty Duke as Keller; both Bancroft and Duke won Academy Awards for their work. (11320)
Autograph Letter Culture, Ethnicity & Gender