Perkins Archives

The Perkins Archives house institutional records as well as collections documenting the history of education for people with blindness or deafblindness.

The Perkins Archives is part of the Samuel P. Hayes Research Library at the Perkins School for the Blind, Watertown, MA. The Perkins Archives document the evolution of the fields of knowledge associated with blindness and deafblindness as well as the gradual inclusion of people with visual impairments into the mainstream of American life. Many of the discoveries and achievements that fueled those changes occurred at Perkins, including the first deafblind child to be formally educated, the first kindergarten for blind children, the development of one of the first mechanical braille writing devices, and the first lending library of tactile books.

Finding Aids

The collections are in a variety of formats, including original manuscripts, ledgers, scrapbooks, clippings notebooks, photographs, etc.

Text Collections

Flip through publications and other materials, in virtual book form on the Internet Archive.

Photo Collections

Digital Collections on the Perkins Archives Flickr Page arranged by topic.

A very young Helen Keller stands next to a seated Anne Sullivan, while Anne fingerspells into Keller's hand

Helen Keller and Anne Sullivan Collections

Links to Online Resources from the Perkins Archives related to Helen Keller and Anne Sullivan.

Browse Collections

Perkins Archives Blog

Perkins tower in the background with pear trees and horse drawn carriages in the foreground.

"A place of attraction to all..."

Perkins director Edward E. Allen was a firm believer in the benefits of "simple beauty" for schools for the blind and made sure that the new campus in Watertown fulfilled this belief.