Pothooks & perseverance or The A.B.C-serpent (R228015)
Alphabets as a Canvas for Creativity
As the 19th century gave way to the 20th, alphabet books became increasingly experimental, echoing (and even anticipating) the boldness of the avant-garde. In their mixture of joy, strangeness, and sophistication, these alphabets show us that the ABC format was never merely about learning letters. It was also about expanding the possibilities of art, design, and imagination.
In the past, children were taught to form “pothooks” (the crooked, first strokes of handwriting) and urged to show “perseverance” until they mastered their letters. These lessons were stern and the tone moralistic. In Walter Crane’s version, however, the familiar “pothooks” of handwriting became a fantastical and menacing alphabet serpent, showing that learning to read can feel like taming a dragon, yet once mastered, it opens the door to books, fantasy, and the world of imagination.
As a leading voice of the Arts and Crafts movement, Crane believed that beauty and good design should be part of everyday life and not something that only the wealthy could enjoy. Like his friend William Morris and the critic John Ruskin, he thought that art, education and moral purpose were closely connected. In this alphabet, that idea becomes visible. The child is not simply drilled or tested. Instead, the imagery invites curiosity, play and even an element of risk, so that learning feels like a creative experience rather than a chore. It suggests that the alphabet is not something to endure, but the first step towards developing a deeper and more imaginative (and beautiful) inner world.
R228015
Gordon F. Browne was one of Britain’s most prolific illustrators, a master at bringing stories to life through lively and expressive drawings. His gift for visual storytelling made him ideally suited to alphabet books. In Dr. Jollyboy’s ABC, Browne turns potential challenges into moments of fun, wit and delight. For example, faced with the notoriously difficult X, he resolves the problem by declaring that “X stands for nothing”.
Browne’s focus on storytelling, rather than surface decoration, changed how later illustrators thought about children’s books. Kate Greenaway often aimed for charm, and Walter Crane for grandeur, but Browne showed that pictures could feel familiar and still encourage children to wonder about what lies beyond the page. In his alphabet, “Y” isn’t only tied to the word “Yacht”. It also stands for “Yankee, Yard-arm, Youth, Yoke, Yacht, Yokel, Yard-measure.” These are not just words on a list, but possibilities that invite the reader to imagine where that yacht might go and what might happen next — turning learning into an invitation to imagine adventures on distant seas.
R228006
Arthur Layard brought a uniquely theatrical flair to children's alphabet books. A former military officer turned illustrator, Layard created The alphabet of musical bogeys to turn conventional musical instruction on its head, replacing learning scales and proper composure with a crazy carnival of musical mischief-makers.
This "Z" page shows Layard's playful rebellion against Victorian propriety. The creature's flowing locks and exaggerated features suggest music itself come to life—wild, passionate, and completely unconcerned with good behaviour. Layard's bold use of pure red against cream, and his celebration of expressive movement over realistic detail, anticipate the radical changes coming to art in the early 20th century. Rather than carefully rendering every detail, Layard uses flowing lines and dramatic colour to make viewers feel the energy and joy of the dancing figure. Drawing inspiration from the bold graphics of advertising posters and the lively humour of newspaper cartoons, rather than refined gallery art, Layard created a visual language that matched children's own rebellious, wild spirit.
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R228521
Edmund Dulac transformed the humble alphabet book into something wonderfully sophisticated, bringing his refined French artistic training to English children's literature. A master decorator who would become famous for fairy tale illustrations, Dulac approached Lyrics, pathetic & humorous, from A to Z as both educational tool and work of art. The title promises a collection of verses designed to amuse and gently move readers as they travel through the alphabet. This is because, in Victorian usage, “pathetic” often referred to something that inspired sympathy or tender emotion, rather than something pitiable. On this page, an elderly scholar is shown from behind, thoughtfully studying a blackboard covered in mysterious equations, inviting both tenderness and ridicule.
Stylistically, Dulac’s muted earth tones and carefully arranged compositions show the influence of Art Nouveau and Japanese woodblock prints. His flattened perspective and geometric framing give the illustrations a decorative, orderly feel, making each image feel elegant and thoughtfully designed. Like Crane before him, Dulac proved that children's books could be serious art objects, combining educational content with visual refinement.
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