Not surprisingly, it was a Frenchman who committed the earliest surviving Valentine’s greeting to paper. While imprisoned in the Tower of London following the 1415 battle of Agincourt, the Duke of Orleans wrote to his wife:”Je suis desja d’amour tanné

Ma tres doulce Valentinée”

This translates roughly as, “I am already sick of love, my very gentle Valentine.” This remarkable letter survives in the manuscript collections of the British Library.
Now let’s move forward a few hundred years to circa 1960 and we enter the world of the funny, corny, inexpensive mid twentieth century Valentine. Now if you are, ahem, of a certain age, you remember these. Bought by your mother in a huge pack at the five and dime you gave one to every kid in your class.  

Enjoy this walk down memory lane if you remember these. If you’re too young to remember, I’m sure you’ll enjoy them too! And they’re also tons of fun to collect!  

Carol Fenn 2-2019