Aunt Lely's Picture Alphabet (1855)

This alphabet book, published in 1855, reflects the changing attitudes toward reading theory and educational theory. In the latter half of the 19th century, the old method of rote learning, where children merely memorized the letters of the alphabet, usually through association with a single word and accompanying illustration, was replaced by a method of having children “learn whole words in meaningful context,” with the content often consisting of amusing narratives in rhyming verse. This book is a prime example of that, with each letter of the alphabet accompanied by rhyming verse featuring words that start with that letter. The illustrations depict the items described by each stanza of verse.