Valentine - Mechanical floral scene - a man on a horse offers a woman a rose - symbol of love. 1870 - 1880

This small Valentine, made anonymously sometime in the 19th century, uses paper, textile and metal to create a token of love, but it’s also a powerful reflection of Victorian social values. The floral scene, complete with a man on horseback offering a rose, speaks to the era’s idealized vision of romance and courtship. The rose itself, of course, is a potent symbol, but the larger context—a carefully constructed, almost theatrical garden—hints at the social rituals and expectations surrounding relationships. Consider the burgeoning middle class of the time, and how these sorts of mass produced objects acted as tools to help navigate the social landscape. These were affordable ways to express sentiments, but also to perform one's understanding of social etiquette. As historians, we can look at letters, diaries, and conduct manuals from the period to more fully understand the meaning of such tokens and their place in everyday life.