Bringing Helen Keller’s Water Pump to Life at The Dot Experience

What was it like for six-year-old Helen Keller to discover language? Those seconds of wonder, understanding, and awe are frozen in time as Helen felt the cool liquid and her teacher, Anne Sullivan, fingerspelling the word into her palm. Now, over one hundred years later, The Dot Experience is designing an interactive water pump for visitors so they may recreate that transformative moment in Helen’s life. 

The Prototype 

After examining the pump seen in photographs at Helen’s birthplace, Ivy Green, and those primarily used during that time period, Solid Light purchased a cast iron water pump from a similar era to use as a prototype. Its surface is dark and textured, cool to the touch, and rich with the character of turn-of-the-century craftsmanship. Mounted on a wooden block, the pump stands at the right height for visitors to try for themselves. 

Its form is striking. At the center sits a bulbous pressure chamber, shaped like an upside-down eggplant or hot air balloon, from which a narrow spout juts forward, reminiscent of an outdoor faucet but extending out a little further. Rising from the top is a long, curved pump handle, arching gracefully like a ponytail or a sweeping French curve, built to give the leverage needed to draw water from deep below. The base flares outward with Victorian-era flourishes — flanges, ridges, and fine details cast directly into the iron, including faint raised lettering from its original manufacturer.   

While visually ornate, its design is rooted in function. This was once a hard-working tool, meant to stand on a farmstead or beside a home, pumping water into a bucket or basin. The prototype captures both its utilitarian purpose and its period elegance — qualities the prototyping team aim to preserve in the durable, hands-on version guests will encounter at The Dot Experience. 

How it Works 

When visitors enter Helen’s gallery, they will hear a dripping noise, which will get louder as they approach the water pump. The tool can be activated by either lifting the handle or putting a hand under the spout. This dual activation allows guests to play the role of Helen, feeling the water under the spout, or Anne Sullivan, as she maneuvers the handle. Once activated, air, meant to simulate the feeling of running water, is released from the spout while theatrical blue lighting from overhead begins to rise in its brightness in the space. Gentle music meant to emulate Helen’s moment of discovery also plays, and the sound of running water can be heard from nearby speakers as visitors bask in their interaction with the pump. 

Feedback 

Ben Jett, Creative Team Director at Solid Light, and his team tested the water pump interactive with APH’s inclusive prototyping team. With their assistance, the team came to some decisions on how they want the final water pump interactive to appear in the gallery. Instead of the pump they have now, Solid Light will recreate one that still retains that cast iron feel but also has speakers built into the base of the pump and placed overhead to create crisp, clear audio. The wooden base will also be replaced by a custom cast iron or stone base. They will make the dripping sound louder and fix the motion sensor, so the pump isn’t so easily or accidentally activated. Also, the current music selection will shift to something that is more reminiscent of Helen’s language epiphany. 

When asked what he hoped visitors would gain from experiencing the pump, Ben said, “Behind every well-known person, there is a real human who is trying to experience life better, differently, dealing with their world. I hope in some ways it reinforces the humanity, the realness of Helen, the realness of Annie Sullivan, and that connection that they had with each other.” For Ben, Helen’s water pump moment also underscores the fact that her family used the resources they had at that time to help Helen. Her parents and Anne Sullivan saw her potential and wanted her to learn in whatever way was right for her.  

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