Valentine - Mechanical, flowers with hidden messages, sachet 1870 - 1880

Editor: This is an anonymous Valentine, created between 1870 and 1880. It's described as a mechanical piece, incorporating flowers with hidden messages and even a sachet! It feels so delicate and layered. What strikes you most about this intricate creation? Curator: I am fascinated by the material choices. This wasn't just a sentimental gesture; it was an intricate, laborious process. We have prints, drawings, and what they're calling mixed-media elements combining into a complex object. Think of the person hours! These materials weren't conjured from thin air, were they? Consider the factories churning out paper, ink, and even the sachets used. It implies an entire network of laborers involved in the very Victorian industry of love and courtship. Editor: So, beyond the surface level of romance, you see the echoes of industrial production? Curator: Precisely! These aren't just pretty flowers; they represent commodified affection. These are not real flowers painstakingly arranged. How are they shaped through the lens of class and labor? Who has the luxury to buy and send these? Who creates these elaborate designs? And where do the raw materials even originate? Are these mass produced or handmade items? This changes our perspective about who is producing and who is consuming the item and what this means. Editor: It's amazing how a seemingly simple Valentine can reveal so much about the society that produced it. Curator: Absolutely. By looking at the materials and means of production, we move beyond mere aesthetics and glimpse the social fabric of the time. The art highlights material relationships. Editor: I never considered that Valentine's Day had an economic backstory. Curator: This helps us understand both its charm and, maybe, something about its social function.