Valentine's Day

Handwritten on the back of this handmade marbled paper valentine: "From Adeline to Nellie Kirk."

A small calling card-sized, Victorian-era valentine, circa 1870s-1880s.

A flowery Victorian-era Valentine's Day card. The primroses are opening now, The buds are green, on every bough, The daisies spring beneath our feet, The brown thrush pipes his carol sweet. The birds begin to dream of nests, Nature is stirring in their breasts, And Love and Friendship both combine To welcome back, Saint Valentine!

"Our valentines will be sold at cost to-day Centre aisle (round table). Sharpless & Sons, Philadelphia." A nineteenth-century advertising trade card that announced reduced prices for Valentine's Day cards.

"I shall be candid with you, Valentine. You're so snappy. Hope you develop a liking for me." A mechanical valentine. Moving the boy's head alternately displays "Valentine," "You're so snappy," and a girl's face in the lens of the camera, and the final position also reveals a heart with the message, "Hope you develop a liking for me." I suspect that this card dates to the 1960s, when the television show Candid Camera was at the height of its popularity.

A St. Valentine's Day or love photo for the Vintage Photos Theme Park. Mouse over the image to see an enlargement of the top portion of the card . "It certainly is a 'snap' to love you" is the caption for this valentine, which includes an attached photograph--a snap shot, of course--to deliver it's punning message. The photo shows a young girl who's wearing headphones (or perhaps some kind of radio headset--are those antennas extending from each side?), and she appears to be startled by what she's hearing. It's not obvious why the card publisher chose the girl's photo for this valentine. Was she a child actress? Were the headphones new and trendy? It's certainly not a snap to figure out!

See also the full version of this valentine:

"A back seat driver ain't no fun / But despite her scowls / you're the only one / Be my valentine." A mechanical valentine. The little lever at the back of the car moves mother's head up and down as she scowls away in the back seat.

"P[olice] D[epartment]. Calling you my valentine." For another valentine from the same series, see Valentine Express :

This Valentine Express looks the Union Pacific Railroad's M-10000 , which Wikipedia describes as "the first internal combustion engine, lightweight streamlined express passenger train in the United States." The M-10000 streamliner debuted in 1934. For another valentine from the same series, see Calling You My Valentine :

This valentine was incomplete when I bought it--there's no greeting or caption--but I thought it was interesting anyway. Perhaps the missing sentiment was "You quack me up, valentine."

Hmm, in this day and age I don't think I'd send Johnny and Sally to school with a valentine like this to exchange with classmates!

A folded die-cut Valentine's Day greeting card with an inside message of "Be my valentine."

"To one I love." See also Brooklyn Bridge Valentine .

"Loving thoughts." See also Statue of Liberty Valentine .

"You're out of this world, my valentine." A space-themed Valentine's Day "lollipop card" manufactured by the E. Rosen candy company. The card has perforations--barely visible here--that originally folded out to hold the stick of a lollipop.

The guy's bursting through that poor woman's heart just to deliver his valentine! Here are some other last-minute Valentine's Day greetings!