Going Back To 1850 For This Year's Valentine's Day

On this Valentine's Day in the year 2010, we are going to go back in time ... 160 years in fact, to 1850. Here is a Valentine Card from that very year. Cards of this age and vintage are incredibly difficult to find. I am very lucky to have acquired it. Given the card's extremely fragile condition, it is a wonder it has survived to the present day. Since this Valentine was made for the 1850 season, it was certainly produced in the late 1840s making it quite old indeed.

Here is the front


Close-up of the center


Some damage


More damage


The card opened


Close-up of the text - you will note 1850 written in the upper right corner


The original envelope


Close-up of the artwork


The back of the envelope - you can see it was once sealed


I hope you have enjoyed viewing this very rare specimen of the early Victorian era.