Victorian Valentines

I decided to display our Victorian valentines in the dining room this year. Victorians truly valued friendship. As tokens of kindness, they would exchange cards with one another for Valentine's Day.

My mother-in-law shared these with me years ago. They had been in her family and since she knew I had a fondness for vintage items, she gave them to me along with some old postcards. These three dimensional stand-up gems are known as "mechanical" cards. They were originally produced in Germany and England before becoming popular in America in the  late 1800s. Two of these are stamped "Printed in Germany" on the bottom. Made of heavy cardboard with special ornamentation, such as silk or honeycombed paper, they were often saved and displayed on parlor tables. I've also learned that since scrapbooks had gained such popularity by the turn-of-the-century, lots of these ornate cards were glued in albums and, thereby preserved.

My book A Victorian Book of Love, Forget Me Nots is a wonderful little collection of color plates and stories. It was a Valentine gift many years ago.

This tea set was given to my sister and me by our cousins when we were all growing up.

Isn't it sweet that these cards were shared with family and friends in bygone days? Caring expressions today are more likely to be extended electronically or through social media, but I can't let go of cards. I enjoy sending them and also like creating hand-stamped cards that I donate to nursing homes. Whether through actual cards or electronic devices, the important thing is to remember your family and friends and if you're reading this, that includes you!

Loyal friendship

Pure and true,

Such is what 

  I feel for you! 😍