New Photo of Hellen Keller

Helen Adams Keller (June 27, 1880 – June 1, 1968) was an American author, activist and lecturer. She was the first deafblind person to graduate from college.

The story of how Keller’s teacher, Anne Sullivan, broke through the isolation imposed by a near complete lack of language, allowing the girl to blossom as she learned to communicate, has become known worldwide through the dramatic depictions of The Miracle Worker.

What is less well known is how Keller’s life developed after she completed her education. A prolific author, she was well traveled, and was outspoken in her opposition to war. She campaigned for women’s suffrage, workers’ rights and socialism (let’s forgive her for this :)), as well as many other progressive causes.

In 1999, Keller was listed in Gallup’s Most Widely Admired People of the 20th Century.

Well – a new photo of her was recently found (see above and a better larger copy in the article below).  See the story about it here:

http://edition.cnn.com/2008/US/03/05/helen.keller.ap/index.html

“The way Anne is gazing so intently at Helen, I think it’s a beautiful portrait of the devotion that lasted between these two women all of Anne’s life,” Seymour-Ford said.

Selsdon said the photograph is valuable because it shows many elements of Keller’s childhood: that devotion, Sullivan’s push to teach Helen outdoors and Helen’s attachment to her baby dolls, one of which was given to her upon Sullivan’s arrival as her teacher.