The ABC's of auction
15 February 2024 Whether you’ve taught a child to read in the past or are fascinated by fonts and typefaces, there are plenty of reasons to check out historic alphabets.
In 1991 British artist Peter Blake created a series of alphabet silkscreen prints comprised of individual prints such as “P is for Pachyderm”, “N is for Nude” and “U is for Unusual People”. The whole collection, starting with “A is for Alphabet”, is offered with an estimate of £5000-7000 at Cheffins in Cambridge on February 22.
The selection below shows the wide variety of alphabets on offer at auction, any of which make a good purchase in their own right. Together they exemplify the different ways the alphabet was presented and deployed in the past.
Pictured here is a detail of a set of brass alphabet bookbinder’s lettering tools. Offered with an estimate of 300-500 at Sworders’ auction of the Warner Dailey Collection on February 22, the set has a decorative potential as well as historic value.
Hockney’s Alphabet was created in 1991 for the Aids Crisis Trust. Published by Faber & Faber, the book contains 27 colour lithographic plates (A-Z and Ampersand) and contributions inspired by a letter of the alphabet written by authors such as Joyce Carol Oates, Iris Murdoch and Norman Mailer. Printed on Exhibition Fine Art Cartridge paper and bound in quarter vellum, the volume is signed by the artist and the editor in ink on the justification page and is offered with an estimate of £500-1000 at Cheffins’ Art & Design sale of February 22.
This framed needlepoint sampler is included in Bonhams’ auction In Winter Americana, held on February 19 in Massachusetts (and online, of course). It features five lines of alphabet lettering as well as a biblical verse and the image of a house. At the bottom it is signed: Wrought by Mary Ann Waterman aged nine years 1831. It has an estimate of $200-300.
Estimated at £300-500 at Bellmans auction of February 19-21 is this pair of Wedgewood earthenware ‘Alphabet’ bowls were designed in 1937 by Eric Ravilious. The design was produced in blue and pink across mugs, bowls and plates for dinnerware and, in this case, nursery ware. Various images reflect the letters (A is for aeroplane, V is for volcano).
