Happy Valentine’s Day

Prang's Valentine Cards

Prang's Valentine Cards. Print by L. Prang & Co., copyrighted 1883. http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/ppmsca.09465

In honor of Valentine’s Day, here is a vintage 1883 advertisement for Prang’s Valentine Cards which shows a woman holding a group of tethered cherubs, who float like a bunch of balloons above her head. The advertisement also shows that the sale of Valentine’s greetings has been of commercial importance for well over a century. Second only to the exchange of Christmas cards, Valentine’s Day is a busy one for the postman as well as for Cupid.

Prints & Photographs takes this opportunity to share the love with all the many angelic creatures both within and outside of the Library of Congress who share our love of pictures and help to expand our understanding and appreciation of these rich pictorial resources. Thank You and Happy Valentine’s Day!

Yours Forever

Yours Forever. Valentine Card, circa 1890. http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/ppmsca.24352

Learn More:

Peruse historic Valentines in the Prints & Photographs Online Catalog.

Our recent post about our Flickr anniversary highlights how Flickr members have contributed to our understanding and appreciation of selected pictures in our holdings. Others have written to us directly with information and insights.

4 Comments

  1. Steven Herman
    February 14, 2012 at 4:46 pm

    Wow! Valentine Day advertisements go quite a way back!

  2. pumpkin
    February 15, 2012 at 2:49 am

    Great card! Happy Valentine’s Day!

  3. Jaballa
    April 24, 2012 at 11:59 pm

    The Library of Congress has been doing a wonderful job on keeping these pictures prints, in order that the new generation might change to learn what has happened during the founding fathers, moreover, it helps the people to figure out the primary sources though they are pictures and enhance the researchers to get their job done properly.

  4. valentinesdayideas
    July 21, 2012 at 6:25 am

    Awesome pictures from Prang’s Valentine Cards. Happy valentines day.

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