Alf R. Becker

“Alf R. Becker was a sign painter working out of St Louis, Illinois during the 1930s and 1940s. In 1932, Signs of the Times editor E. Thomas Kelly commissioned him to produce an original alphabet for each issue of the monthly publication. The deal was initially for a couple of years, but its popularity resulted in the feature running to 320 alphabets over 27 years. It was only Becker's failing health, and eventual death in 1959, that brought this run to an end.” [Better Letters] In late 1941, 100 of those alphabets were compiled and published in book form, 100 Alphabets.