{"id":29183,"date":"2018-02-14T12:28:00","date_gmt":"2018-02-14T17:28:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.genealogybank.com\/?p=29183"},"modified":"2025-02-14T06:36:47","modified_gmt":"2025-02-14T11:36:47","slug":"our-ancestors-valentines-day-cards","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/our-ancestors-valentines-day-cards.html","title":{"rendered":"Our Ancestors\u2019 Valentine\u2019s Day Cards"},"content":{"rendered":"

Introduction<\/em><\/strong>: In this article, Gena Philibert-Ortega celebrates Valentine\u2019s Day by researching some of our ancestors\u2019 valentine cards. Gena is a genealogist and author of the book \u201cFrom the Family Kitchen.<\/span>\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

I\u2019ve always loved old Valentine\u2019s Day cards. Although I like all old cards, including very early ones, mid- to late-20th century Valentine\u2019s Day cards are some of my favorites. I wish I could find one of the large books of pages of valentines you could cut out and give to your teacher and fellow classmates, like they had when I was a kid. I remember feeling bad that my parents wouldn\u2019t buy the pre-cut valentines (they cost more), but today I would love to have one of those large books with their pages and pages of different Valentine\u2019s Day greetings.<\/p>\n

\"Photo:<\/a>
Photo: Valentine\u2019s Day card from 1947. Credit: the Houston County, Tennessee, Archives.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Sending valentine wishes actually dates back to the 18th century. It was in the 20th century that handmade sentiments or letters were replaced by printed cards that could be purchased.*<\/p>\n

\"Photo:<\/a>
Photo: Valentine\u2019s Day card from 1947. Credit: the Houston County, Tennessee, Archives.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Some of the earliest homemade valentines I have seen were in connection with some research I conducted on a 19th century English woman. Her friend Elizabeth Cobbold, who was an author, would create elaborate silhouette cut-outs complete with a poem and give them to her friends during her Valentine\u2019s Day parties.**<\/p>\n

Some of these can be viewed on the Flickr account for Johns Hopkins University Library Special Collections (https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/tags\/elizabethcobbold<\/a>).<\/p>\n

\"Photo:<\/a>
Photo: handmade Valentine Day\u2019s Card, c. 1820. Courtesy of Special Collections of The Johns Hopkins University.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Valentines in the Newspaper<\/strong><\/p>\n

As I look through GenealogyBank\u2019s Historical Newspaper Archives<\/a>, there are numerous examples of ways that our ancestors may have procured valentines. This 1852 advertisement proclaims that they have: \u201c20,000 Comic and Sentimental Valentines: Valentine Writers: Family Note Paper: Valentine Cards…\u201d There\u2019s no doubt they took valentine greetings seriously because a P.S. to that advertisement states: \u201cAt my store there will be every convenience furnished for directing and mailing Valentines \u2013 furnished gratuitously. There will also be a trust worthy carrier on hand to convey Valentines to any part of the city.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"An<\/a>
American and Commercial Daily Advertiser (Baltimore, Maryland), 3 February 1852, page 3<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The 20th century provided not only advertisements for Valentine\u2019s Day cards, but also a range of prices and types described in advertisements \u2013 like this 1903 newspaper advertisement for valentines that are lace or embossed \u201cin the form of baskets, flowers, butterflies, pretty children\u2019s faces, hearts\u2026\u201d Valentine\u2019s Day cards of this era would have cost your ancestor anywhere from 1 cent to $1.50 \u2013 which would be almost $40 today!<\/p>\n

\"An<\/a>
Cincinnati Post (Cincinnati, Ohio), 4 February 1903, page 10<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It\u2019s not surprising that printed Valentine\u2019s Day cards and the images they depict change with the times. Popular culture is fleeting and Valentine\u2019s Day cards often depict what is in style, including media characters and quotes. These 1940s valentines given to a teacher by her students include a woman in a military-style uniform that might be reminiscent of the WACs or WAVES (Women\u2019s Army Corp and the Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service) and other women who went to war during this time.<\/p>\n

\"Photo:<\/a>
Photo: Valentine\u2019s Day card from 1947. Credit: the Houston County, Tennessee, Archives.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This 1982 newspaper article focusing on the changes in Valentine\u2019s Day cards points out that what was popular that year included the characters Strawberry Shortcake, Holly Hobby and Ziggy, as well as cats and bears. In addition, \u201cthe company\u2019s designers anticipated the increasing public interest in Americana, from Early American primitive art to nineteenth-century quilts. Numerous Valentine offerings incorporate these design motifs. A twist on this concept features antique teddy bears in human situations.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"An<\/a>
Chicago Metro News (Chicago, Illinois), 13 February 1982, page 14<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

While I remember Valentine \u2019s Day cards decorated with Holly Hobby and animal characters, my guess is that my 10-year-old nephew might be passing out cards with more contemporary themes from movies like Star Wars and Transformers.<\/p>\n

Do you have a favorite Valentine\u2019s Day memory? Have you saved a card from years gone by? I\u2019d love to hear about it in the comments section below.<\/p>\n

Happy Valentine\u2019s Day!<\/p>\n

Explore over 330 years of newspapers and historical records in GenealogyBank. Discover your family story! Start a 7-Day Free Trial<\/a><\/p>\n

———————–<\/p>\n

* \u201cHistory of Valentine\u2019s Day,\u201d History (http:\/\/www.history.com\/topics\/valentines-day\/history-of-valentines-day<\/a>: accessed 8 February 2018).
\n** \u201cV is for Valentines,\u201d Suffolk Record Office: accessed 8 February 2018.<\/p>\n

Related Article:<\/strong><\/p>\n