The American Boys’ Book of Signs, Signals and Symbols, by Dan Beard (1918), is a richly illustrated (“362 illustrations by the author”) collection of symbols: hobo chalk signs, cipher alphabets, common gestures, lantern and whistle railway signals, semaphore, and more. Here, for example, is a page of “Toot-Talk,” the signals used by steamers. Many of these seem to be similar; I suppose much of the meaning is in the context. I appreciate Mr. Beard taking the trouble to draw different kinds of ships.

(Posted by Doug Skinner)