Born, Helena, 1860-1901

Helena Born, a labor organizer, anarchist, and writer, grew up in England in a prosperous family, and turned to socialism early in life. By the time she emigrated to America in 1890 with a close friend, Miriam Daniell, she had rejected socialism for anarchism. She settled in Cambridge (Mass.), and worked as a typesetter and proofreader. She had a deep appreciation of nature, joined the Walt Whitman Fellowship, and wrote "Whitman's ideal democracy, and other writings" (1902).

From the guide to the Helena Born Photographs, 1895-1897, (Tamiment Library / Wagner Archives)

Helena Born (1860-1901), was a labor organizer, anarchist, and writer, was born in Devonshire, England. She became involved in the workers movement beginning with the London Dock Strike in 1889. In 1890 she emmigrated to the United States, settling in Cambridge, Massachusetts. She learned typesetting and proofreading which became her life work. She wrote Whitman's Ideal Democracy, and Other Writings (1902), and other writings. Born was an apostle of simplicity and social regeneration. She appreciated the harmony and joys of nature and possessed the idealism of Thoreau. The papers contain scrapbooks, correspondence, autographed letters, photographs, memorabilia, poetry, essays, a biography of Born (written by Helen Tufts), her will and printed material. Her organizing efforts in Bristol are documented as well as her writing and publishing work. Of special note is a collection of business letters that Born gathered while she worked at Houghton Mifflin in Boston from such writers as William Jennings Bryan, William Dean Howells, Oliver W. Holmes, William James, and John Fiske.

From the description of Helena Born papers, 1870-1906 (bulk 1890-1901). (New York University). WorldCat record id: 478448817

Helena Born, a labor organizer, anarchist, (Walt) Whitmanite, and writer, was born May 11, 1860 in Devonshire, England. She became actively involved in the workers movement beginning with the London Dock Strike in 1889. In 1890 she emmigrated to the United States, settling in Cambridge, Massachusetts. She learned typesetting and proofreading which became her life work. She wrote Whitman's Ideal Democracy (1902), and other writings. Born was an apostle of simplicity and social regeneration. She appreciated the harmony and joys of nature and possessed the idealism of Thoreau.

She was an only child who received a good education at a school in Taunton and musical training in Bristol, where she became acquainted with the liberal thought of the day, reading Browning, Shelley, Morris, Thoreau, Carpenter, and Whitman. She joined the Bristol Women's Liberal Association, becoming interested in the subject of women's equality through suffrage, political education, and civic reform.

Though Born came from a well to do family, she came to sympathize with the laboring classes. Along with her friend Miriam Daniell, an ardent socialist, the two took up residence in the laborer's district of Hull and joined the local socialist society. In 1889 the London Dock Strike drew Born and Daniell into the English workers movement. They formed a branch of a labor union that was organized for unskilled workers throughout the country, and Born became its secretary. Born next decided to try and organize the seamstresses in Bristol. Even though she worked closely with the socialists, she came to lose faith in their theory, and after reading Herbert Spencer grew to accept the principles of "philosophical anarchism."

In the fall of 1890, Born accompanied Daniell to America, where the two settled in Cambidge, Massachuttes and it was here that Born learned type setting and proofreading which would soon provide her life's work. Because of an unhappy marriage Miriam Daniell decided to live in California, and Born want with her. Shortly thereafter Daniell died and Born returned to Cambridge. She spent her summers in Epsom, New Hampshire, where she was able to get close to and directly experience nature, was a vegetarian and the food she ate came from her own farming.

While living in Boston, Helena Born joined the local Walt Whitman Fellowship and before its membership she read many of the papers which her editor (Everett Press) published in a small volume entitled Whitman's Ideal Democracy, and Other Writings (1902). The book contained essays by Born on Thoreau, Whitman, Shelley, and William Carpenter. On February 27, 1901 she died of cancer in Boston.

From the guide to the Helena Born Papers, Bulk, 1890-1901, 1870-1906, (Tamiment Library / Wagner Archives)