Valentine - Mechanical kaleidoscope, cherubs 1870 - 1880

This small valentine, a mechanical kaleidoscope with cherubs, probably dates to the late nineteenth century and was made by an anonymous maker. Unlike a unique work of art, it was likely mass-produced using industrial printing techniques. What's interesting is the combination of the relatively new technology of the kaleidoscope with the very old tradition of a handmade valentine. By turning the small wheel at the card’s center, a viewer would have seen a shifting pattern of flowers, ribbons, and words like ‘friendship’, ‘love’, and ‘peace’. These are printed onto the paper surface in fine detail using then-contemporary printing technologies. Notice the heavy emphasis on decoration. Lace, floral patterns, and cherubs are all suggestive of innocence and sincerity. The overall effect is sentimental, even saccharine, yet it also speaks to a very modern desire for novelty and visual stimulation. The artist combined craft, technology, and romance in an aesthetic product that straddles art and design.