Happy Valentines Day ~ Redux ~ A Historical Look at Valentines Day Cards From The Days Of Elementary School ~ Volume 1.0 ~ Original Photography Of Old Cards ~ And Somewhat Long Discussion ~
Happy Valentines Day To All Of You Out There On Steemit
Here, I present to you on this day of romance, chocolate and Love -- Valentine's Day Cards -- from a time way way back. I do not have any human children of my own, and since cats don't give cards to anyone on February the 14th, I am not as well-versed in the ways of this 'Holiday of Romance' thing within the world of present-day youngsters.
I assume the practice of handing out cards or other tokens of affection in school still exists today. But since I'm clueless as to the how-to-for's in this realm of small-person romance, I would be interested to know what is going on in the 'today' world of schoolyard-based, artfully-professed Love.
Kiss Her? I Can't Even TALK To Her Without Feeling Ill!
Though clueless to present practice, I DO have deep, wonderful memories of this time from when I was young. Cards of a similar nature were given out on this special day, to whomever you chose to give them to. Fully intended to profess deep Love and Devotion to someone across the aisle in class, down the hallway by the gym, or somewhere else within the bounds of the school grounds.
And let's face it, this romance stuff is a whole lot easier on a card than in person. Particularly if you are less than 10 years old, and have NO clue what you are doing in the giddy, oh-so scary, new-world of budding romance.
A Large Collection Of Heartfelt Feelings
A friend from work gave me these cards several years ago. She had a box of old Valentines she had collected from somewhere. I KNOW they weren't from her world of romantic giving and receiving, as many are from around 1935, and she wasn't even close to old-enough to call them hers. She wasn't even a sprig of an idea yet when these were formed on a printing press.
However she acquired them, I greatly enjoyed receiving them, if only in a shoe box. Rather than, unfortunately, as originally intended -- sitting at my 3rd grade, flip-top desk, looking up dreamily into Sherrie Leuter's blue eyes while she handed me my special card. Sigh...lofty dreams die hard. Even WITH raft-loads of time passing under the bridge of life.
No Sherrie Love - But Still A Lot Of Fun
I still enjoy looking at this blast from the romantic past, and would like to share them with you as well. They are a classic piece of history from some special times of (mostly) youthful romance. From an era long long ago, and probably now long-gone as well. Enjoy.
Animals were a popular theme. The duck is really a cute little doober. Not sure if the first card with the racehorse came edged like that from the store, or Mom used the pinking sheers on it to add a special touch of 'something'. Hope it worked, if that was Mom's intent.
I like the clever use of the 2 with the puppy. Sort of an early version of cell-phone texting and such. And I'm not sure if the baseball bounced off the heart in the other card, or Bun Rabbit just hit a foul ball and struck out with his object of hoped-for affection. Let's hope-for the first scenario.
Many of the cards seem to be themed on 'career'. As demonstrated above (↑)and below (↓). I'm guessing these are from the 1960's, with the Space-Man in Love, and Better Living Through Chemistry themes. Both ideas were very popular in the 1950's-1960's. Thanks-be the second one kind of went by the wayside a bit.
Believe He Had A Bad Case Of The Dry-Throated Knee-Shimmies, Watson
I love looking at the writing on the back of these, trying to Sherlock out what the scoop might have been on that special day. Some are obviously signed by the youthful giver, such as traffic-cop dog Todd (↑). I'm guessing he was very young. Or exceedingly nervous about being VERY much in love.
Some other card signatures suggest that they were signed by an older person. Mom or Dad may have helped out now and then. I thought this about Wanda The Chemist at first glance above(↑). But on closer look, I think this was actually signed by Wanda. Maybe while mastering her cursive lettering. It was 'practiced' with pencil first, and then once finalized in ink, proceeded downhill too fast to have been penned by Mom or Dad.
Then again, if asked to help sign the card as he ran out the door, briefcase in hand and late for work, Dad MIGHT have done a poor job too. But I'm sticking with Wanda, signing her Enduring Love to who-knows-who on her own.
This card obviously does something, when you first receive it. There are folds and multiple layers stacked up one after the other. Second photo below(↓) shows the card folded out. There is an area in the middle to pencil or pen your name and deep feelings.
Unfortunately it never was used, as it is unsigned. Or possibly the romantic giver just wanted to stay totally anonymous. I can fully understand that, from my days of youth: "I love you DEARLY, but just from very very afar".
A very sweet card, for its time. I really like the pointy, coy pigeon-toes of love. This one is priceless. There is even a little 'flap' to fold out at the bottom. No doubt so you can display it on your work desk or other necessary area, to help point out to your skeptical friends: "See, I TOLD you she liked me. Nanner Nanner!!"
These 'cards' are actually very small and fragile About an inch and a half wide by two inches across. They appear to be very old. Turn of the last century maybe? They are embossed, with quite a bit of vertical relief. I'm not so sure they were for Valentine's Day or not. Ships, sea shells, doves, and a Courier and Ive's scene. Possibly given for other reasons when reaching out to other folk. Weddings? Funerals? New Baby? Any ideas out there in SteemitLand?
Glenn signed the card above in rather exuberant fashion. Think he was a youngster. But looking at the front of the card BELOW (↓), he gave his Love an old fashioned shoe...? Not sure what the intent was for this one. Either someone at home picked it out for him, or he just liked fashionable shoes.
The Hopeless Romantic At 'Work'
Reminds me of some of the more misguided things I did during these stages of romantic 'education' growing up. (No, not the shoe card, other amorous, wonderfully creative things of the clueless-absurd).
Oh me oh my. How to profess great, undying love? These moments of exceedingly blunt practice usually occurred on the walk home from school. Throwing slush balls at the same Sherrie Leuter (I was persistent if nothing else - unrequited love will do that to you) on the shared sidewalk at the end of the day.
Or dumping Marty Browne upside down into a pile of freshly-fallen leaves in front of Mr. Crab Salad's house on the corner. (He yelled at us any time we 'strayed' off the sidewalk, 2" into his lawn. Irrelevant, but I still remember his voice to this very day.) Marty was not that impressed by these amorous dunking's into the leaf pile.
Maybe if I'd given either of these girls a card with an old-fashioned blue shoe on the front I would have been more successful . Then again, I'm not sure anything would have helped back then in my ever-present, totally clueless state of hopeless romance. And it's clumsy-at-best expression toward the focus of my intentions.
I feel for the young girls of the world. Though hard to believe -- it DOES get better -- as we boys grow older, more brave about even talking to girls, and replace snowballs and leaf piles with flowers, chocolates, and special Valentine's Day Cards.
~ Finto ~
Thanks so much for reading, and hope you have a marvelous Valentines Day today
Stay tuned, there may be more Valentines Day cards coming out tomorrow as well.
Thanks for stopping in and viewing the many old cards of Love on Valentine's Day. If you have any thoughts about old cards, new cards, electronic cards, Love in general, how to express this Love when your knees are knocking, or anything else this post reminds you of, please feel free to comment away in the spaces below. I'd LOVE to hear from you.
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Posted: 02/14/2018 @ 18:52
Excerpts From Late-Night Conversations With A Mechanical Cat
Fact Number 34
Nice
Thanks
Whoa these really bring back the past. I remember the expectation along with a dread of possibly not getting many cards. Not the favorite time of my life!
I seldom got cards either, except from my grandmother or 'good friends'. Not the same as from the Sherrie's of the world. One of the downers of the joys of childhood. They do kind of make your head spin a bit though...(seeing the old cards, not the lost 'loves of your life'.) Appreciate you stopping by and checking them out.
Oh, I forgot to give you choco! Take some 🍫🍫🍫🍫🍫🍫🍫.
Oooh, chocolates, one of my favourites. Thanks, and back atcha in bunches.
ahaha :) you should know that ı love these cards!
I'm glad you enjoyed them. They were fun to photograph and put out as a bit of history. Have a nice day today, though it might be night right about now in your part of the world.
I love old graphics like these. I have a shoebox full of old valentines from family, like Victorian long since dead family and boy did they have the time and the pinking shears to make the most elaborate cards.
I think it was the fashion to cut and paste and create more ornamental cards from existing cards or at least they seem to be that way.
I spent my Valentines day with my two gal pas shopping at Ikea whilst @winstonalden stayed home, smoked his pipe and dreamed of who knows what.
I have never celebrated Valentines day with any of my beau's they were either smart enough to know I don't go in for things where in the calendar dictates to me what is supposed to happen on that day, or they got a box of chocolates over their head...I guess I'm not easy to love, but then again, I mostly love animals and they have never been foolish enough to send me flowers or give me scraps of paper with 'love' writ on, the little dears.
Sounds like you had a great V-day with your chums shopping at the wonderstore. I've been to one of those with a friend. Amazing, like a museum almost, with all the rooms and mazes in between full of stuff. As he and I overheard Mr. Spock muttering while searching out a new duvet in the blue room: "fascinating".
I think the older cards were that way because only the rich could afford cards, like photography, so many people made their own. Plus there probably was only two places that manufactured cards in the whole country. Sometimes ya gotta do what ya gotta do. Even for the holidays.
Good thing all the men in your life figured this Valentine's thing out early. Or at least W.A. did, and knows when to have you go shopping while he enjoys his latest blend. Amazing how these things work out. I've never been overly ya ya about the holiday either. Though getting a box of chocolates was never something I COMPLAINED about. It seldom happened most times. Then again, I was not exactly Joe romance in my younger days, spending more time in the woods with a bunch of yayhoos where there WERE no women, than having romantic, googly-eyed dinners and such. Later on in life, I've become more like you, passing straight into the ease of whateverville. How's the cat doing, dear?
I'm sure you're easy to love, the other half just has to enjoy cleaning aquariums, feeding the birds, and having cats and dogs in their lap on a regular basis. What's NOT to love ( :
As my cousin with more animals than those Doan's pills they used to go on about is wont to say... " Life without the critters-is no life at at all"
Those are all so sweet. My kids are young adults now but when they were in grade school, it was still a thing to bring in Valentines Day cards. Although, they were to bring one for everyone in the class. If I remember right, that is what were did in grade school too.
Thanks for the update on today's (more or less) kids. I wondered if they still did this. Nice everyone gets one from everyone. Really leaves some people out when they are left alone. Kind of like picking dodgeball teams. Thanks for stopping in for a look and commenting. Have a nice weekend.
WOW! So many old Valentine's cards; they are all interesting and beautiful. I would love to have them all.... Or it would be so sweet if someone would give one of them to me! ;D
I like the way you told us about the stories of those cards. Well done! ;)