Evolution Of Valentines:
From Frills To Big Business
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HOME IS THE SAILOR—Sea motif for Valentines was popular in
1800 when this one, now owned by Dr. Stanley Curtis of Youngs
town, Ohio, was printed on handmade paper. Church steeple
symbolizes seafarer's honorable intent.
By WILLA MARTIN
(A*) Newsfeatures Writer
NEW YORK — Valentine-mak
ing is now a $10,000,000 a year in
dustry in America—and old val
entines, like etchings and stamps,
are cherished collectors’ items.
Recently the widow of * famous
Cleveland collector, going blind,
agreed to relinquish her husband’s
famous early valentine’s only be
cause she could no longer see
them.
This collection, and that of Dr.
Stanley Curtis of Youngstown,
Ohio, were sold to Arthur D. Nor
cross, a shy, dignified man who
has been as influential as any
I
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other person in making the prac
tice of sending cards a year-round
habit. Norcross now owns 3700
valentines, the oldest, a fairly
primitive one of hearts and ar
rows, dating to 1740.
For some of them the Massachu
setts man has paid more than
$100.
Fanciest Brought $50
The fanciest and laciest hand
made valentines, which often sold
originally for as much as $50,
were made before 1862. Then the
art hit a slump, as the designs be
came merely ornate and preten
tious.
About 1880, professional artists
were called in to design them, and
their standard generally improv
ed.
Manufacturers now cla s s i f y
their cards in revealing groups:
The “honey” cards, slangy and
impudent, sold to bobby soxers;
the “pretties” or whimsies of cun
ning kittens and other cute sub
jects; the sweetheart cards which
are the most sentimental and are
sold to all ages.
Despite variations in sentiment
and taste, valentines have changed
little in a hundred years. Early
18th century makers used satin
panels, handpainted ruffles, round
nosegays, silk fringers, small mir
rors, painted and enameled minia
tures.
Struck Solemn Notes
In these, the messages were la
boriously penned in, handwrit ng
being a polite accomplishment and
apt to give the donor an edge in
his or her suit. Few had separate
envelopes. They were folded and
sealed with wax.
Though the messages were often
dolorous (“So may my love smile
till life is closed and angel hands
have crowned her!”) they never
were intended to be funny. Comic
1 valentines did not appear before
the end of the 19th century.
These were single pieces of pa
per, very cheap in appearance and
printing. Cartoons, they bore sar
castic verses which were a delib
erate slam of the recipient—school
teacher, policeman, or “stuck-up.”
The 1946 comic verse is kinder,
pokes fun at the sender rather
than the recipient.
The origin of St. Valentine’s
Day, a combination of ornithology
and paganism, is undocumented.
The Romans observed that birds
mated about the 14th of February
and considered this manifestation
of nature an omen from the gods.
So they held their feast of Luoer
calia, dedicated to Pan and Juno
at this time.
Maidens put their names in a
box in the market place to be
drawn by the young men seeking
partners for the festivities.
Three Christian martyrs bore
the name of St. Valentine and
each was killed in 270 A.D. durin"
the religious persecutions of Clau
dius II. But the most romantic
one was a handsome youth con
to die on the Appian Way.
While waiting execution he fell :n
love with his keeper’s daughter
.of" v,er love letters or Val
entines.
Chaucer, Ben Johnson, Shakes
pear° ^ennys referred to St. Val
entine’s Day. All of them knew it
as an occasion in which real pro
posals "f marriage were exchang
ed in hand-painted art.
Valentines, like taxes, are here
to stay, though—unlike taxes—
thpv -’re not to be taken too se
riously.
China Has No
Secret Negotiation
With Russia
SHANGHAI, Feb. 13 — </P) —
China is conducting no secret ne
gotiations with Russia regarding
Manchuria or any other subject,
Chiang Kai-Shek told Chinese and
foreign newsmen in a brief press
conference today. He acknowl
edged “informal duscussions”
were being held however.
Chiang said that such discus
sions, concerning economic con
ditions in Manchuria, are contin
uing between Russia and China,
but there is nothing secret about
them. In reply to a question as to
when Russians will withdraw
from Manchuria, Chiang said only
that they had been scheduled to
RECEIVE DISCHARGES
Sgt. William Hoogendorn, of the
Kougarok, and Sgt. Trygve Jor
genson, of Haycock, both receive#
their discharges Monday in Nome.
Sgt. Hoogendorn, who has1
served 39 months in the Nome
area, plans to spend a few weeks
here before returning to the Kou
garok to resume mining.
Sgt. Jorgenson, who served 30
months in Nome, will leave for
Haycock to visit his family, anfl
w'ill return to Nome to work here.
withdraw Feb. 1. He did not elab
orate.
'Private reports circulated in
..Chungking yesterday that the
Russians are building barracks in
Manchuria, tending to support ru
mors that they would not com
plete their withdrawal before
June 1).
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