You may have seen our Facebook post about the introduction of Scottish artist Joe Waterfield’s work into the Samuel Johnson Birthplace Shop. In today’s blog post, Joe tells us a little more about how he came up with his ‘Admirable Alphabet’, and how he selected the words he was going to illustrate:
A is for Abecedarian
B is for Babery
C is for Corncutter
These are just some of the words appearing on the illustrated design I created in 2018, ‘The Admirable Alphabet of Dr. Johnson’s Definitive Dictionary’. This design might be new, but the dictionary turned 264 this week as Samuel Johnson’s monumental ‘Dictionary of the English Language’ was published on 15 April 1755.
In our modern world, word-processing software includes inbuilt spell-checking tools, and auto-correction is ubiquitous, so most people have no need for a printed dictionary. Ease-of-use tools mean that even the most average of writers can use a word like ‘ubiquitous’ without fear, and if he or she is unsure of a word’s meaning, Dr. Google is generally preferred to Dictionary Corner.
However, Dr. Johnson’s venerable word-finder offers a wealth of interest and enjoyment for the modern reader, and this is why I decided to create an illustrated alphabet in its honour.
The first stage of the project was choosing words for the alphabet. There are over 40000 entries in Johnson’s dictionary, so I needed to be selective. I focused on interesting words with interesting definitions, and often this meant choosing archaic or underused words. I chose ‘Abecedarian’ for my letter A, this – appropriately – refers to ‘He that teaches or learns the alphabet’, and is derived from A, B, C. I chose ‘Babery’ for B (‘Finery to please a babe or child’), partly because it offered an opportunity to draw a pudgy baby.
Some words selected for the design have been replaced in current usage, for example, if I had a verruca, I would now be more likely to see a ‘Chiropodist’ or ‘Podiatrist’ than a ‘Corncutter’. Similarly, it is hard to think of a modern situation where one might use or overhear the word ‘Vaticide’ (‘a murderer of poets’). One famous definition conspicuous by its absence is ‘Oats’ (‘A grain, which in England is generally given to horses, but in Scotland supports the people’), this was left out in favour of the appealing concept of an ‘Oilman’ (‘One who trades in oils and pickles’), and also because I happen to live in Scotland!
The next stage was to create an illustration for each word. The drawings were first sketched in pencil, and then firmed up with a pen once I was happy with the overall concept, each drawing was finally edited in Photoshop to add colour and create the finished images.
Dr. Johnson himself appears throughout the alphabet, along with Hodge, his beloved cat. Hodge did not live with Johnson when the dictionary was published, but he earned a spot in the design due to his status as a celebri-kitty.
I hope that you enjoy the ‘The Admirable Alphabet’, it has something for Johnsonians, Word-Nerds, and anyone with an interest in language. The full alphabet design can be seen on products available from the Samuel Johnson Birthplace Museum shop, and from my online shop. You would have to be a Zany to miss out on this Abecedarian’s design!
Contributor: Joe Waterfield is an illustrator, writer, and heritage-professional based in Scotland. He studied History – MA (Hons), MLitt – at the University of Glasgow, and has worked and volunteered in the heritage sector since 2009. Joe now creates engaging, well-researched images and interpretation resources for the heritage sector, and is always interested in helping to tell extraordinary stories. You can find out more, or get in touch with Joe, via Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.