Are you looking forward to Valentine’s Day? I ask because this is one of the few holidays the mention of which is as likely to be met with a snort of derision as a sigh of anticipation. As Valentine’s Day is often accused of being a so-called ‘Hallmark holiday’, invented (or at least perpetuated) by companies to sell greetings cards, I thought I’d explore the origins of commercial valentines through some of the objects in our extensive collection. These cards and many others are available to view in the Prints and Drawings Study Room.
The tradition of sending love tokens and notes on 14th February has been around for hundreds of years, with the earliest surviving valentines dating from the 15th century. Early valentines usually took the form of handwritten notes or poems, and it wasn’t until the 1800s, with the availability of cheap paper and development of new printing techniques, that making valentines really became an industry.
Many Victorian Valentine’s cards, including the beautiful ‘Barometer of Love’ card above, incorporate paper lace in their design. This technique is said to have been discovered by Joseph Addenbrooke in 1834 when, while working on making embossed papers for a company called Dobbs, he accidentally filed off the raised part of the paper and was left with a pattern of tiny holes that looked remarkably like delicate lace. If you look closely, you can see that many of the cards in our collection carry makers’ marks for Dobbs, and for Addenbrooke himself, who later set up his own company. These companies made some cards themselves, and also sold the paper for others to use.
The valentine industry grew throughout the 1800s, and up to 60,000 cards were sent in 1836. This greatly increased with the advent of the Penny Post in 1840, and by 1886 so many cards were being sent that the Post Office had to issue a notice asking people to post them as early as possible to avoid overloading the system. The cheaper post also led to an increase in the market for mass-produced printed cards.
Typical of these cheaper cards, this valentine is printed on thin paper and the blocks of colour are quite clumsily stencilled – I’m not sure that the lady who received this would have been very impressed with her suitor…
The post also brought anonymity, which allowed more racy cards to be sent – we have one card in the collection where a lady’s crinoline can be raised to reveal a scandalous glimpse of red-stockinged ankle – and increased the popularity of ‘vinegar valentines’, cards with vulgar or cruel messages designed to have the opposite effect to a traditional valentine. I’m very glad that this tradition seems to have died out with the Victorians!
This card, from around 1860, may have been sent to ward off a potential suitor, or perhaps to warn someone that their lover was not what he seemed. Like the card we saw earlier, these vinegar valentines were usually printed cheaply on thin paper and, to add insult to injury, before the postal reforms it was the receiver who would have to pay for postage rather than the sender!
On the other end of the scale, we have several cards in the collection made by Eugène Rimmel (1820-1887), a 19th century perfumier and father of the Rimmel London cosmetics brand. The enterprising Monsieur Rimmel diversified into the booming Valentine’s card market (scenting all his cards with perfume, of course) and collaborated with artists such as Jules Chéret to produce some of the prettiest and most sophisticated cards of the time, such as this forget-me-not card, part of the ‘Language of Flowers’ collection.
Each flower symbolised a different message to send your beloved – the forget-me-not is one of the more transparent!
Rimmel’s business was a great success, and at its height employed 150 women in his card factory on the Strand, painstakingly decorating cards by hand with fabric, feathers, printed scraps and tinsel. Men were known to spend up to a month’s wages on buying the most elaborate cards to demonstrate their love.
After all this commercialism I thought I’d end with something a bit more personal. This handwritten card with a glove attached may have been intended as a marriage proposal, as tradition had it that if a man gave a woman a glove on Valentine’s Day and she wore it on Easter Sunday, it meant she reciprocated his love. The poem on the card, which will either make you smile or cringe, reads ‘If that from love you take the letter G, then glove is love and that I send to thee’. Happy Valentine’s Day everyone!
FAQs
In the Victorian era, and into the 20th century, lovers exchanged elaborate lace-trimmed cards on Valentine's Day, expressing their undying love and devotion with sentiments and poems.
Are vintage valentines worth anything? ›
These cards were very popular throughout the U.S. during the period from 1900 to the end of the 1920s. Today, some of these surviving mechanical cards are worth thousands of dollars apiece as collectables. Others can be found in antique shops and online markets like eBay and Etsy for under $50.
What is the Victorian mean spirited valentines? ›
Vinegar valentines were a type of cheeky postcard decorated with a caricature and insulting poem. A lampoon of Valentine's Day cards, the unflattering novelty items enjoyed a century of popularity beginning in the 1840s during the Victorian era.
What is the worlds oldest valentines card? ›
The World's Oldest Valentine's Day Card
Dating to February 1477, the love letter was written by Margery Brews to her fiancé John Paston. Margery refers to John as her “right well-beloved Valentine” and beseeches him to marry her despite the fact she hasn't been able to convince her father to increase her dowry.
What highly decorated valentines gift became popular in Victorian times? ›
Victorians were very sentimental and loved to have material reminders of their loved ones, living or deceased. Personalized items like decorative candy boxes and love tokens became common gifts year-round, but especially as a special symbol of affection on Valentine's Day.
What is the bad history of Valentine's Day? ›
One Valentine was a priest in third-century Rome who defied Emperor Claudius II after the ruler outlawed marriage for young men. St. Valentine would perform marriages in secret for young lovers, ultimately leading to his death.
What is the most bought item on Valentine's Day? ›
This is probably why 57% of consumers buy Valentine's Day candy as a gift for their loved ones. Other popular gifts include cards (40%), flowers (37%), and an evening out (31%).
What is the most bought valentines Day gift? ›
What are the most popular gifts to send for Valentine's Day?
- Flowers & Chocolates. ...
- Cook a Romantic Dinner Together. ...
- Treasure Hunt. ...
- Couples Activity. ...
- Make Your Own Card.
Hearts. As one of the most everlasting, cross-cultural symbols, the heart was also rather popular in Victorian-era jewellery. We know them to be symbols of love and compassion today, and so did the people of that period.
Did Victorians celebrate Valentine's Day? ›
As other articles below show, Valentine's Day was already well known long before Victorian times. The Victorian era, however, brought us the Valentine's Day card (as well as the postal system with which to mail it) - and the rest, as they say, is history!
During the Victorian era, white roses gained immense popularity in weddings, signifying the purity and innocence of the bride. Queen Victoria herself carried a bouquet of white roses on her wedding day in 1840, sparking a trend that continues to this day. Pink Roses: Grace and Appreciation.
What is the most expensive Valentine's card? ›
The most expensive card is sold at $5,000 in the collection, with some Valentine's greetings offered at a mere $3,500 price tag.
How much will the average person spend on Valentine's day? ›
A survey from consumer review site Trustpilot found that the cost of Valentine's Day 2024 will average out to a spendy $157.52. Another report from Driver Research puts the total higher at $192, with dinner and drinks on Feb. 14 running about $154.
What are candy hearts called? ›
Sweethearts (also known as conversation hearts) are small heart-shaped sugar candies sold around Valentine's Day. Each heart is printed with a message such as "Be Mine", "Kiss Me", "Call Me", "Let's Get Busy", or "Miss You".
Was Valentine's Day celebrated in the Victorian era? ›
As other articles below show, Valentine's Day was already well known long before Victorian times. The Victorian era, however, brought us the Valentine's Day card (as well as the postal system with which to mail it) - and the rest, as they say, is history!
What was Valentine's Day like in the 1800s? ›
In the late 1800s, the holiday was also commercialized, with businesses printing and selling pre-written Valentine's messages. Around that time, people started giving candy and flowers to loved ones or going on romantic getaways with their partners.
How was Valentine's Day celebrated in the 1800s? ›
Rather than purchase a ready-made valentine, some Victorians assembled original valentines from materials purchased at a stationer's shop: lace, bits of mirror, bows and ribbons, seashells and seeds, gold and silver foil appliqués, silk flowers, and clichéd printed mottoes like “Be Mine” and “Constant and True.”
What did people originally do on Valentine's Day? ›
Possible ancient origins
In Ancient Rome, Lupercalia was observed February 13–15 on behalf of Pan and Juno, pagan gods of love, marriage and fertility. It was a rite connected to purification and health, and had only slight connection to fertility (as a part of health) and none to love.
