Hall Braille
Braille Writer




Harrison & Seifried Company
Frank Haven Hall
Original Price: $11
First Made in 1892
S/N: 22644
Experiments with typefaces led Frank Haven Hall to the invention of this Hall Braille writer. Publicly announced in May 1892 while Hall was superintendent for the Illinois Institution for the Blind, and unveiled at the World's Columbian Exposition in October 1893, the intention of this typewriter was specifically to assist the blind, as opposed to making money. In this spirit, Hall never patented his machine in an effort to make the device reachable by all. Furthermore, the machine was originally manufactured for $10, and only sold for $11 to ensure its affordability. The middle picture was donated to the Library of Congress in November 1918 (https://lccn.loc.gov/2017668454), and is of a sailor using the machine on the right, while a soldier reads Braille on the left.