Esther Howland--the daughter of a stationery store owner--received an ornate English valentine from her father's business associate. She became intrigued. Using family connections to gather materials like lace and colored paper, 20-year-old Esther made her own hand-crafted valentines in 1848. The enterprising Esther was soon employing her friends in an assembly line method to satisfy customer demand. Her New England Valentine Company became a great success!