Happy Birthday, Edward Lear!
Edward Lear, a British poet and artist known for nonsensical literature, was born #onthisday in 1812.
Lear was forced to earn a living from the age of 15 when his father was sent to debtor's prison, and was quickly recognised for his artistic talent. He was hired by the London Zoological Society to draw illustrations of birds in 1832, and later that year, was invited to the Earl of Derby's estate where he stayed for four years.
While he spent most of the late 1830's and 40's travelling and painting landscapes, he is known today for his witty and humorous poems, including those from 'A Book of Nonsense' (1846) and his 'Nonsense Alphabets'. He is also thought to be the creator of the form and meter of the modern limerick.
Here are the letters T, C and H from an 1860 edition of his alphabet that we hold in our collections, complete with short poems for each.
Which is your favourite? 🐢🐈🎩
