As with many things, the Victorians gave us most of the traditions we use in our celebration of Valentine’s Day. The most prevalent tradition, sending and receiving Valentine’s cards, can be laid at the doorstep of a member of the British postal system, Rowland Hill, who came up with the idea that letters or cards should be charged by their weight rather than by the distance they traveled. Thus the penny post was born and mailing letters and cards suddenly became affordable for all classes.
The first penny stamp was created in 1840 and with it the tradition of sending Valentine cards was born. By 1841 more than 400,000 Valentine cards were sent in England; by 1870 the number had grown to 1.2 million.
Victorian Valentine’s Day cards were originally full
sheets of paper, decorated with pictures and messages, then folded and sealed
with wax in order to mail them. (Remember, envelopes did not come into practical
use until 1845 when they could be mass produced.) Victorians could purchase
ready-made cards or they could create their own.
The DIY Valentine cards were made with different materials that could be purchased at the stationer’s: paper, bits of mirror, seashells, lace, silk or foil appliques, ribbons, seeds, and paste jewels, as well as ready made sentiments like “Be Mine” or “True Love.” Ladies and gents would take the materials home, assemble the cards, and send them out to arrive on Valentine’s Day, February 14. They grew to be more and more elaborate as the century progressed.
Here are some pictures of Victorian Valentines:
I hope you have a very Happy Valentine’s Day!
References:
5-Minute History. “Valentine’s Day in the Victorian
Era.”
Gilbert, Sarah. “Victorian Valentine’s Day cards—in pictures.”
The Guardian, February 13, 2014.
Letter Jackets. “The History of Envelopes.” July 14,
2016.
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