Valentine Card, "It's Your Lead, My Valentine," circa 1925
01
Artifact Overview
The custom of sending messages of affection on February 14 dates back to Roman times, when mid-February was a time to meet and court prospective mates. The earliest American valentines were labors of love, handmade by the sender. The spread of commercially produced valentines in the second half of the nineteenth century made sending and receiving Valentine's Day cards a more lighthearted activity.
Artifact Details
Artifact
Valentine
Date Made
circa 1925
Subject Date
circa 1925
Collection Title
Location
Not on exhibit to the public.
Object ID
2008.103.9
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford. Gift of Virginia Kent Graybill
Material
Metal
Paper (Fiber product)
Technique
Die cutting
Color
Multicolored
Dimensions
Height: 6.75 in (irregular)
Width: 8 in (irregular)
Inscriptions
Printed on center under table: It's your lead / MY VALENTINE
Printed on boy's cap brim: NAVAL RESERVE
Keywords |
|---|
03
Related Content
article
The Eyes Have It
The most fascinating form of jewelry created as a love token started as what we would describe as a fad in the late-18th century: the eye portrait.
article
Not Your Usual Valentines
Explore the strange and perhaps insulting world of 19th-century vinegar valentines, with examples from our collections.
article
Valentine's Surprises
Take a Valentine's Day tour through some of our related collections.