A Valentine ’ s Day postcard sent in 1923
A Heartfelt History
By Pamela Baird MVHA President
With an estimated 150 million Valentine ’ s Day cards exchanged each year in the U . S ., have you ever wondered how the tradition was established ? If one counts all the small cards that school children exchange the total is over 500 million cards .
In the eighteenth century handmade cards were exchanged in England . Small booklets were published for young lovers with hundreds of love poems and sentiments that could be included in their cards . About 1800 printers began producing “ mechanical valentines ”. A reduction in the postage rates in 1840 caused a dramatic increase in the number of cards sent . Factories employing over 3,000 women produced hundreds of thousands of cards each year .
The tradition was slower to catch on in the U . S . Although people did exchange handmade cards , it wasn ’ t until 1850 that an American woman , Esther Howland , created a greeting card company . She took her inspiration from a Valentine card sent from England . Her father owned a large book and stationary store in Worcester , MA ., so she was able to use his sources to import paper lace and �loral decorations from England , which she used to create cards featuring lacy cutouts . The successful business was sold in 1881 to the George C . Whitney Company , which became one of the largest publishers of Valentine cards in the nation .
Improvements in printing techniques created beautifully colored postcards , which could be mailed more inexpensively than a card with an envelope . Germany was a primary supplier , as the country was a leader in design and manufacturing .
Example of a “ Vinegar Valentine ” sent in 1923
A change in postal regulations in many countries ( in 1907 in the U . S .) allowed for a split back postcard ; the left side for a personal message and the right side for the address . This led to a huge increase in the number of postcards sent . Previously only the address could be placed on the backside of a postcard .
“ Vinegar Valentines ” postcards became popular in the late 1800s in England and the U . S . Mean spirited or cruel cards were sent anonymously to employers , undesired suitors or neighbors . Millions of vinegar valentines , with verses that insulted a person ’ s looks , intelligence , or occupation , were sold . Fortunately , this practice became less popular by the 1930s .
Today , Valentine ’ s Day is the second-most popular card-giving occasion according to the Hallmark Card Company . Approximately 85 % of Valentine ’ s Day cards are purchased by women .
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