Valentine 1880

This anonymous Valentine is made from paper lace with gold leaf embellishments. The card presents a fashionable woman standing in a garden, a popular motif for courtship in the 19th century, when factory-produced valentines became widespread in Europe and the United States. The mass production of valentines coincided with new forms of postal services, connecting people across social classes. While the sender and recipient of this card remain unknown, the paper lace would indicate this was intended for someone with whom there was already an intimate relationship. Research into postal archives, as well as material studies of paper production, can help reveal the social networks of exchange embedded in this delicate object. Ultimately, this Valentine card invites us to reflect on the changing meanings of intimacy and affection in a rapidly industrializing world.