Pictograms, pictographs or something else used to write to kids

[Eoghan]

When I was much younger my grandfather (I believe now in glory) used to write to us using small drawings as a substitute for words. A small bee,H + ear, nose would stand in for be, h-ear and knows.

I have forgotten many of the pictures he drew and can find no help on the web. Pictograms innevitably leads to a pparticular variety of graph ...

Is there a name for this type of writing?

 

[py3ak]

It's called a rebus.

 

[Eoghan]

Yup it gets close but the rebus puzzles I see are word puzzles. My grandfather used an alphabet of cartoons (he was an artist) combined with letters, removed or substituted.

 

[JennyG]

I seem to remember that that kind of thing was quite often seen in children's comics and annuals and so on a few decades ago. It would be presented as a puzzle or code, for you to work out what was being said. I've never heard of there being a standard, fixed system though - perhaps your grandfather was just making his own up?

 

[Eoghan]

Mark Twain sends a rebus letter to his children

The link below is a Rebus letter Mark Twain sent to his children!


LINK A Rebus-Letter - A Playful Correspondent - Literary Mischief - Mark Twain at Play - University of California, Berkeley