Vintage Valentines
February 14 is Valentine’s Day, an opportunity for people to tell someone they care about them. While romantic feelings are those most often asserted, feelings of friendship and kinship are also celebrated. Valentine’s Day cards first surfaced in the mid-19th century and were initially handmade.
As interest in Valentine’s Day cards grew commercial card manufacturers got involved and started promoting Valentine’s Day as a means to increase sales. Today, Valentine’s Day card sales account for more than 25% of greeting cards sales in North America, second only to Christmas card sales.
With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, we thought it might be fun to take a look at a few of the vintage Valentine’s Day cards in our collection dating from the late 19th century/ early 20th century.
