Visual Materials

Subseries C. Verse writers

Description: This subseries consists of Valentine's Day verse or letter writers, which are booklets with samples of text to use as guides when writing valentine correspondence. Some of the writers are satirical in nature and were likely used for creating comic valentines. Also of note are the writers published by stationer S.A. Howland, the father of valentine stationer Esther Howland.
Type: Visual Materials(Opens in new tab)
Date: approximately 1810s-1890s
Call number: priRosin
Creator: Rosin, Nancy(Opens in new tab)
Provenance: Gift of Robert B. Rosin and Belle Rosin, December 2017.; Gift of Robert B. Rosin and Belle Rosin, December 2018.; Gift of Robert B. Rosin and Belle Rosin, December 2019.; Purchased for the Huntington from January 2020.

Subseries A. Charles Albert Reed

Visual Materials

This subseries contains research notes compiled by Charles Albert Reed, a Valentine scholar. More materials by Charles Albert Reed include Valentine's Day scrapbooks and albums that are housed in boxes 77-79, listed within the Valentine's Day, scrapbook and album subseries.

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Artifacts and 3D objects

Visual Materials

The box contains a valentine and its original box. Valentine is marked as attributed to creator Esther Howland with Mansell lace.

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Subseries A. Greeting cards

Visual Materials

The subseries contains greeting cards created for Valentine's Day. Included are handmade cards with theorem painting, paper cut work (Scherenschnitte), rebus puzzles, frakturs, puzzle purses, endless knots, pinpricking, and other folk art methods. Also included are greeting cards created during the Victorian era by English and American stationers, makers, and distributors such as Joseph Addenbrooke, Dobbs and Co., Thomas De La Rue, Esther Howland, Jonathan King, Joseph Mansell, and George C. Whitney which demonstrate various methods of design and production, often on intricate paper lace with embossing, scrap assemblage, and other illustrative and printing techniques. This subseries also contains comic or "vinegar valentines" created by publishers McLoughlin Bros. and Raphael Tuck & Sons, and printers A. Park, A.J. Fisher, Marks & Sons, and Thomas W. Strong. Many of the comic valentines are illustrated by Charles Howard who worked for the various publishers. Of note are dimensional and mechanical valentines, which either have mechanical levers, honeycomb tissue paper, paper wheels, or pulls to hold the cards up or move in different directions.

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Subseries C. Rust Craft Greeting Card Company

Visual Materials

This subseries contains photographs, proofs, prints, samples, and original artwork by artists working for Rust Craft Greeting Card Company. Rust Craft's Valentine's Day cards are housed in the Valentine's Day series, and other holiday greeting cards are found in the Manners and customs series.

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Subseries A. Kate Greenaway

Visual Materials

The Kate Greenaway subseries includes original artwork, calendars, trade cards, and advertisements relating to the illustrator. Greenaway's Valentine's Day cards are housed in the Valentine's Day series, and her other holiday greeting cards are found in the Manners and customs series. This subseries pertains primarily to her original art and promotional material.

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Subseries B. Louis Prang

Visual Materials

This subseries contains promotional, instructional and internal files relating to Louis Prang. Included are art course books, trade cards, advertisements, newspaper clippings, and correspondence. Louis Prang's Valentine's Day cards are housed in the Valentine's Day series, and his other holiday greeting cards are found in the Manners and customs series.

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Subseries C. Verse writers

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Admission Info and Tickets

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Subseries A. Charles Albert Reed

Artifacts and 3D objects

Subseries A. Greeting cards

Subseries C. Rust Craft Greeting Card Company

Subseries A. Kate Greenaway

Subseries B. Louis Prang