The Society has a collection of over 3,000 valentines ranging in date from the 1830’s to 1900. The collection includes both manuscript and printed designs, with strong representation of locally-produced cards made in Worcester, Massachusetts. Chromolithographed cards published in Boston by Louis Prang & Co. can also be found in the collection, along with other brightly printed designs by large American and European producers.
Exchanging valentines became fashionable in America in the 1840s. In 1846 over 30,000 valentines passed through the New York City post-office on a single day (February 14th). In the midst of this craze for valentines, Esther Howland, known as the Mother of the American Valentine, opened her business in Worcester. She set up a work space in the family home, staffing it with a few local women to help fill the orders. Sales quickly reached $75,000 a year and Howland stayed in business for 30 years.
Access
The Valentine collection is divided. There are finding aides available for the following parts of the collection.
- General Valentines (pdf) This part of the collection is not digitized.
- Comic Valentines (pdf)
Images of 19th century comic valentines are available through the Society's digital image archive. - Manuscript Valentines (pdf)
Images are available through the Society's digital image archive. - Boxed Valentines (pdf)
Images are available through the Society's digital image archive.
Resources
You can learn more about Howland and the AAS collection in Past-is-Present blog entry.