Ancient Sumerian script, which began with pictographs and became an abstract system as time went on.

This pictograph dates from 1510 and recounts the coming of missionaries to Hispaniola.

Rebus messages, which use a combination of phonograms, letters and words (all meant to be sounded out) were favored by courting couples a century ago.

Sandra Boyton’s humorous cards contain both the phonograms and the words. Could we have decoded them without the subtitles?