Vintage Valentines

February 14, 2009 12:12 PM

A collection of early Valentine cards, and, A Treatise on Courtly Love .
posted by hortense (10 comments total)

Awe-some.
posted by gman at 12:14 PM on February 14, 2009

I thought I was in for some ruminations on Frances Bean's disaster of a mother.
posted by oddman at 12:15 PM on February 14, 2009

Yeah, I was all excited thinking it was a Treatise on Courtney Love. Can someone get on this?
posted by nímwunnan at 12:21 PM on February 14, 2009 [1 favorite]

As gman pointed out these cards reflect the popular culture of their times.
posted by hortense at 12:22 PM on February 14, 2009

A Treatise on Courtney Love.
posted by vibrotronica at 12:26 PM on February 14, 2009 [1 favorite]

There's an amazing collection of mid 19th century "comic valentines" at the Library Company of Philadelphia, but the interface is kind of confusing and hard to link to. (Click on the link in that page to ImPAC, and then click on the + next to "Comic Valentine Collection".

Here's a rather astonishing one.
posted by Horace Rumpole at 12:34 PM on February 14, 2009

Valentine's day gives me burrs in my trouserloons.
posted by kuujjuarapik at 1:26 PM on February 14, 2009

I am surprised at the last link. I thought greeting cards were created because people don't want to write letters.
posted by rageagainsttherobots at 1:42 PM on February 14, 2009

Nice post. The Lilly Library at IU also has a set of Victorian Valentines. Including some not-so-nice ones.
posted by skynxnex at 2:39 PM on February 14, 2009

Ah, Dwight hall...

skynxnex, the 'fancy paper' section from your link is fun, thanks!
posted by of strange foe at 7:05 PM on February 14, 2009