How Esther Howland Invented the Modern-Day Valentine’s Day

The U.S. Greeting Card Association estimates that approximately 190 million Valentine’s Day cards are sent each year in the U.S., with Hallmark alone making 1,400 different valentines. But in the 1800s, valentines were a far different affair of the heart. Back then they were usually a cheaply made token of love, a few lines of […]

Collectors Love Valentines

The first commercial Valentine’s Day cards in the United States were made in the 1840s by Esther Howland of Massachusetts, who added lace to her own drawings and put them in decorated envelopes. She started an industry making cards with the help of artists and printing machines. In the 1890s, embossed valentines with moving parts […]

Valentine’s Day Traditions

Dear Lee, Hello, February! ‘Tis the season of love and … Valentine’s Day cards. Vintage valentines cards are favorite collectibles because of their sentiments and graphics. If you are thinking of collecting old cards or find some in a box in your attic or at a flea market, remember that how they were made and […]

Heart-shaped Ice Cream Scoop

Just in time for Valentine’s Day, we revisited record prices for heart-shaped ice cream scoops — $4,620 in 1988. Then the record was broken at $8,740 in 2002. (It is said another sold for $15,400 in 1997.) The nickel over brass scoop was invented in 1925 by Manos Novelty Co. of Toronto. Only 500 were […]

Valentine’s Day: Vintage Bridal Fashion Is Back

It’s appropriate for Valentine’s Day to celebrate romance. And blushing brides are rediscovering the glamour of the 1920s. In again are the swinging silky, satiny silhouettes inspired by Art Deco patterns, and Egyptian motifs (popular by the discovery in 1921 of King Tut’s tomb). From cap-sleeves to beaded bodices to capes to pearls, the 1920s beckon the 2020s bride. As […]

Vintage Valentine’s Day Cards

Dear Lee,  Of course we all know about Feb. 14, Valentine’s Day. We have learned about it from our parents, friends, teachers, books and newspapers. But much of what we believe and the way we celebrate has changed through the centuries. Here are some dates, places and celebrations from earlier days, very different from the […]