Gallery
Photos from events, contest for the best costume, videos from master classes.
 |  |
 |  |
 |  |
 |  |
 |  |
 |  |
And by the Victorian era, their notes took the shape of cards and created a whole new industry. In 1840, British Royal Post mailed 400,000 cards around valentines day. In America, Esther Howland is credited with mass-producing the first valentine’s cards in 1847. And since then, the craze only exploded and remained so until the 21st century. New Listing Vintage card Victorian Era Pull Down Valentine Kids With Dog Fold Out Card P26. Antique/Vintage Victorian Valentine's Day Card - Paper Lace w/ Cupid Three dimensional Valentine's Day cards from the Victorian Era were quite popular for their beautiful colors and design detail. The cardboard die cut designs opened from a flat greeting to a three dimensional shape, like the one shown to the left. Some of the Valentine's Day cards combined cardboard with tissue paper. Valentine's Day, a celebration of love and affection, has seen its customs and traditions evolve remarkably over the centuries. One of the most enchanting eras of Valentine's Day history in the United States is undoubtedly the Victorian period, a time when the practice of exchanging Valentine's Day cards flourished with a unique blend of elegance, creativity, and sometimes, delightful The older a Valentine’s Day card is, the more inherently valuable it becomes. Cards from the early 20th century or before are considered true antiques. Victorian-era Valentines from the 1840s onward are highly prized by collectors and can be worth hundreds or thousands of dollars depending on condition. Victorian Valentine cards were flat paper sheets, often printed with colored illustrations and embossed borders. The sheets, when folded and sealed with wax, could be mailed. In 1837, a government postal official named Rowland Hill published a seminal pamphlet: Post Office Reform; Its Importance and Practicability . Beautiful intricate Valentine’s Day card from the Victorian era Some cards are from the Papers of Anna Kelton Wiley, courtesy of the Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America. MORE TO SEE: 43 sweet vintage Valentine’s Day cards from the early 1900s Collecting Antique Victorian Valentine’s Day Postcards It would take some centuries for the holiday to fully develop into what we know and love today. King Henry VII of England declared it a national holiday in 1537 and lovebirds during this era, further encouraged by poets like Shakespeare, gave love tokens of handmade cards and flowers to Ruby Lane - This online antiques mall carries a number of vintage greeting cards with a Valentine's Day theme. They date from the Victorian era through the 1980s. Each card is unique, so the selection changes. You can also find antique valentines in old scrapbooks, which you often see at flea markets. Another likely Valentines gift is this beautiful locket shown above, made with diamonds and synthetic rubies, also shaped like a heart. This locket – dating to the 1880s – is precisely the type of gift that could have been hidden away in a secret compartment of a Victorian Valentine’s Day card, just waiting for the receiver to open the card and be delighted by their loved one’s gift. Valentine's Day in the Victorian Era was exactly how you might expect - over-the-top! With lace, bits of glass and mirrors, glitter, silk flowers, seashells, seeds, ribbons, bows, and silver-foil appliqués these cards were fanciful and fun. Learn how to make your own homemade Victorian Valentine's D Valentine cards could be mailed so they arrived on Valentine’s Day. Decorum books and pamphlets of the era focus in the necessity of good manners in mailing the card postage paid. Expecting the object of your affections to pay the postage upon delivery was considered a breach of etiquette. They continue, “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. In our modern era, the Greeting Card Association calculates that about 145 million Valentine’s Day cards are exchanged among Americans every year. It means that slightly less than half of the population of the US spends money on their Valentines. Vintage card, c. 1870 / Public Domain. Valentines and vinegar valentines alike were once a booming business; In the Victorian Era, Valentine’s Day Was a Celebration of Same-Sex Romance. Check out our victorian valentines day cards selection for the very best in unique or custom, handmade pieces from our greeting cards shops. Beautiful c Late 1800s Antique Valentines Day Card Ornate Embossed Pink & Blue w Die Cut Scrap Forget Me Nots Victorian Valentine Vintage ad vertisement by tinprincess Ad vertisement from shop tinprincess tinprincess From shop tinprincess Robert McNamara, and expert in 19th century history relates that St. Valentine’s Day celebrations date back to at least the Middle ages when the day was observed as Choose Your Romantic Partner Day “because it was believed that birds began mating on that day.” (McNamara “History of St. Valentine’s Day in the 1800s”) He continues by 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.For those Discover the elegance of Victorian Valentine's Day with our in-depth look at vintage cards, enduring traditions, and the romantic era's charm.
Articles and news, personal stories, interviews with experts.
Photos from events, contest for the best costume, videos from master classes.
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |