The Perkins archives collections contain many unique and important items. From rare books and correspondence, to unique artifacts designed for the use of students who are blind, the Archives contains a wealth of distinguished historical artifacts. This page is dedicated to highlighting some of them and will be updated periodically. 

Procedure for Writing Words, Music, and Plainsong in Dots

by Louis Braille, published in 1829

Perkins is fortunate to have only one of only a few known copies of the tactile book where Louis Braille proposes his system of dots. It was published in the french embossed style of the time and includes examples of Braille’s system. The Perkins Archives also holds a rare copy of A History of France, the first book printed entirely in braille in 1837 and a copy of Essai Sur L'Education des Aveugles, by Valentin Haüy, the first embossed book printed for use by the blind printed in 1786.

Learn more about Braille's book on Perkins.org

Helen Keller's first letter

June 17, 1887

Handwritten fragment of a letter from Helen Keller to unknown recipient, June 17, 1887. Her first known letter, Keller was seven years old when she wrote this. The letter reads, “helen write anna george will give helen apple simpson will shoot bird jack will give helen stick of candy doctor will give mildred medicine mother will make mildred new dress.”

Explore the letter on Flickr.com.

The first Perkins Brailler

Produced in 1951

David Abraham gave the world an excellent brailler that is still manufactured today with only minimal changes to its original design. Some users with personal computers rely upon the Perkins Brailler for note-taking and correspondence. Other users, both blind and deafblind, find that it is the most practical, affordable communication tool. Its reliability and durability make it a mainstay in classrooms all over the world. 

Learn about the Perkins Brailler on Perkins.org

Tactile globe built in 1837

Designed by Stephen Preston Ruggles for Perkins' students

The globe is comprised of over 600 pieces of wood, has a 13-foot circumference, and features a 53-inch diameter. Possibly the oldest three-dimensional relief globe made in the United States, the globe was built to allow Perkins students to tactilely learn about the Earth’s geography. It’s painted in bright colors and supported by a wooden frame that includes longitude and latitude markers in braille, as well as zodiac signs. It is still available to explore by touch in the Perkins museum.

Learn about the Globe and its maker on Perkins.org

Learn about the Globe as a teaching aid on Perkins.org