The Abecedarian Book ☜

The Abecedarian Book is a vintage alphabet book self-described as an "alphabet book of big words for adults with the curiosity of children, and for children with the capacity of adults". Written by Charles W. Ferguson and featuring lettering and illustrations by John Alcorn. Published by Little, Brown & Co. in 1964.

It goes without saying that the real heroes here are the extraordinary hand-lettered initials on each title page. Alcorn’s illustrations are unusually subdued, but they allow the oversized drop caps to take center stage.