For you viewing pleasure today, dear readers, please enjoy some sweet vintage Valentines. All were found in an antique mall in Sevierville, TN.
This delicate card is about 2″x3″ and has intricate cuts and gilding. It was presented to Alice Marstin from Juanita J and reads “I’ll dog your footsteps, Valentine / As faithful as can be / until you shake the others / and settle down with me.”
This one dated 1885 shows the two hands commonly associated with love. The greeting is written in maybe Swedish. The card is the size of a modern business card.
There’s a lot of symbolism in this card and I’m not up to speed on any of it! We have a ship & anchor, a hand, roses, pansies, and the saying “all happiness to you.” Not sure who would have used this, but I’m mildly confident it wasn’t reserved for sailors. The card is a modern business card size.
Another small card here, and I’m not 100% sure it’s a Valentine. The language again might be Swedish. Note the embossing that makes the card look lacy. This card is a bit larger than the previously ones.
Noted “Ever Faithful” this card again has a single hand, but this time it is holding a silver star with a snowy tree scene enclosed. Roses and leaves probably symbolize fertility. The card was not signed. It is artfully die cut and is the size of a business card.
This intricate card is shaped like an open shell and features a snowy scene of a cottage and barn (?), topped with pansies. It was presented to Ray Allen from Lola Quimby (I think) in Spring ’93. The card is mildly embossed and about 3″ x 4″.
This final card may in fact be a wedding announcement. The card is embossed in a pattern that frames the two names – Johan Persson & Mathilda Persson, as well as the city name Satrafallet. A quick Google didn’t return any matching results for that town or language or even that word. These types of cards are still in use to some degree, but are not very common anymore.
I hope you have enjoyed this little collection! Happy Valentine’s Day, my friends!
Who Were They? 