If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 698

  

 

 

 

Vintage Valentine card, ca World War I era

 

This used postcard was sent to Miss Eunice McCoy of Duck, Wisconsin from her friend, Elaine.  The stamp is partly torn off and unfortunately it had part of the cancellation mark on it, making it difficult to place the year.  However, from the uniforms and the shoes the girl is wearing it appears to have been printed around the time of World War I, 1914-1918.  The card has a divided back, the number 501 and a trade mark at the upper left corner on the reverse.

 

 

Trade Mark logo 

The card came to me inside a handmade, collage valentine by my granddaughter, M a couple of years ago.  She found the postcard, knew I collect them and kindly sent it.  I am sharing her card too, since I like it very much and it is quite lovely as well.  Thanks M for both cards.

 

 

 

M's homemade collage Valentine

 Happy Valentine's Day!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 645

 

 

 

 

 

 

Vintage Valentine, ca 1909-1912

 

 

Valentine’s Day is next Wednesday and so I thought I would share these two postcards with vintage reproductions from the early 1900s.  I got these cards from Laughing Elephant, a small local shop that specializes in reproducing vintage cards, books, and illustrations.  No artist is credited on either card.  The card above is not dated but is similar to the second card, which is dated 1911. 

 

 

 

 

Vintage Valentine, 1911

 

There was more than one Saint Valentine making it hard to say which one is the one for which Valentine’s Day is named.  There are also several legends about a Saint Valentine and Valentine’s Day.  One is called “The Golden Legend” and concerns a story about Valentine just before he was executed in the year 280 AD by the emperor Claudius of Rome for refusing to sacrifice to idols and converting many to Christianity.  In the 18^th century Henry Ansgar Kelly added a bit more that has since been incorporated into the story.  A very short abbreviated version is that while Valentine was awaiting his fate at the hand of the emperor, his jailer, Asterius, came to him and challenged or asked Valentine to restore the sight of his blind daughter.  Valentine prayed for the girl and she received her sight.  As a result of this miracle the jailer’s entire family converted to Christianity.  On the eve of his execution, Valentine wrote a letter to the girl and signed it “Your Valentine.”  The expression “From Your Valentine” was later adopted on modern Valentine letters and cards. 

 

Happy Valentine’s Day!

 

For additional information, see:

 

https://www.christianiconography.info/goldenLegend/valentine.htm

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valentine%27s_Day

  https://laughingelephant.com/

 

 

If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 594

 

 

 

 

 

 

1910 Valentine [reproduction]

 

Valentine's Day is coming up next Tuesday.  These three Valentine postcards shared this week are reproductions of original Victorian postcards from 1910 and 1911.  They were printed by Laughing Elephant, a small local printing shop that specializes in reproducing Victorian cards, books, and art prints. 

 

When this card was issued in 1910 it was only 6 years after the Wright Brothers first flight at Kitty Hawk.  That makes the airplane depicted, without the cupid, hearts and flowers (of course), a state of the art, most modern plane of that time period.  Even though the poem suggests that the plane is flying as a super high rate of speed, planes of this era probably went 60 mph or less. In comparison, commercial passenger airliners today fly between 500 and 600 mph. 

 

 

 

 

Ca 1911 Valentine [reproduction]

 

This second Valentine also has an airplane theme.  Information on the reverse gives the date as approximately 1911.  Perhaps a newer model than the plane shown on the top card?  No illustrator’s name is credited, although the initials G. H. can be seen at the lower right corner on the front of the card.  There were several artist-illustrators who used G.H. as a signature during the early 1900s.

 

The third card, seen below, has an illustration by Ellen Hattie Clapsaddle.  She was a prolific postcard and greeting card illustrator.  A few of her postcard illustrations have previously appeared as Thursday postcards.  Some of her artwork was used for advertising, calendars, paper fans, porcelain goods, and on trading cards.  She is credited with over 3,000 souvenir postcard designs. 

 

 

 

Valentine card with design by Ellen Clapsaddle, ca 1910

[reproduction]

 

 

Happy Valentine’s Day!

 

 

For additional information, see:

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ellen_Clapsaddle

https://laughingelephant.com/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valentine’s_Day

 

If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 490

 

 

 

 

Valentine postcard, illustrated by C. Licht, ca 1913

 

Who doesn’t like to get a box full of Valentines?  These unused, reproduced cards date from between 1900 and 1920.  The one above has an illustration by C. Licht.  I found it, and the others shared this week, in the small shop, Laughing Elephant, where they make re-prints of many vintage cards, books and posters. 

 

 

Valentine, ca 1912

 

According to history.com, Americans probably began exchanging handmade Valentines in the early 1700s.  By the mid 1800s mass produced Valentines were being sold commercially.  Some had decorations of lace and ribbons.

 

 

Valentine illustrated by Ellen Clapsaddle, ca 1912

 

Traditionally, Valentine’s Day is celebrated on the 14^th of February.  As a holiday it most likely originated prior to the death of any one of the three Christian martyrs called St. Valentine, and was associated with the Roman fertility celebration, Lupercalia, held on February 15th.  Lupercalia was deemed un-Christian by the end of the 5^th century and hence outlawed by the Catholic Church.  About the same time, Pope Gelasius declared the 14^th of February as St. Valentine’s Day.  

 

 

Valentine, ca 1914

 

 It was not until much later, in the middle ages, that it was believed that the beginning of birds’ mating season began around the 14^th of February.  That idea helped reinforce the idea of the holiday as a day of romance.  As early as the 1400s people were sending written love notes on St. Valentine’s Day.  The earliest Valentine love poem in existence today was written in 1415 by Charles Duke of Orleans to his wife when he was imprisoned in the Tower of London.  That note is now part of the British Library collection in London, England.

 

 

Valentine, undated, ca 1910

 

During the early 1900s, when postcards were at their most popular period, cards such as the ones shared this week were a common Valentine’s greeting.  Today regular greeting cards have mostly replaced this type of postcard.

 

 

Valentine, ca 1910

 

For additional information, see:

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valentine%27s_Day

https://www.history.com/topics/valentines-day/history-of-valentines-day-2