How did Sophia Peabody’s bust of Laura Bridgman help Samuel Gridley Howe promote blind education?

In 1841, Samuel Gridley Howe commissioned Sophia Peabody to sculpt a clay bust of his famous pupil, Laura Bridgman, who was the first deaf and blind person in the English-speaking world to master finger spelling and the written word.1

Howe used the bust as a powerful promotional tool to advocate for the education of the blind. After having several plaster casts made, he took them on an extended journey through the American South and the Old Northwest. During these travels, he presented the busts to influential legislators to demonstrate the potential of his students and to lobby for the establishment of state-funded schools for the blind in those regions. By physically representing his successful student, Howe effectively spread awareness of his educational methods and the capabilities of blind individuals throughout the country.12