Valentine's day is coming, so it's better I start posting something about it. And I found something nice about it: A Flowering of Affection: A Victorian Valentine Cards at the Lilly Library. A selection of nineteenth century Valentine cards, from the sentimental to the comic. The history of Valentine's cards, images of cards and more images of fancy cards for girls. I hope this starts to inspire you.

Valentine's Day is a holiday with a long history. Though it bears a saint's name, its origins seem more firmly rooted in pagan celebrations of the beginning of spring than in the history of its martyred namesakes. Valentine's Day traditions are wide-ranging, but have long involved the exchange of some love token or small gift with one's valentine. In 18th century England and North America, these exchanges often took the form of hand-made valentine cards. By the 19th century, these traditions expanded. Home-made cards were widely replaced by commercially produced valentine cards, and the cards were sent not only to one special valentine, but often to a wider circle of friends and relations.

Related post: The Scrap Album