TW427240 A.B.C., 1887 (oil on canvas) by Hedley, Ralph (1848-1913); 127x101.8 cm; Laing Art Gallery, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK; (add.info.: The child in this scene is looking at \'Old Aunt Elspa\'s A.B.C.\'. He wears a smock over his long shorts to keep his clothes clean. The old man is dressed in country fashion, with gaiters to keep his trousers out of mud, and a scarf around his neck. As in many Victorian cottages, there is a caged songbird beside the window. The artist Ralph Hedley painted many scenes of North-East family life. \'Old Aunt Elspa\'s A.B.C.\' was a book illustrated with wood engravings by the Newcastle artist Joseph Crawhall II (1821-1896);); 穢 Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums; English, out of copyright.