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

On this Valentine's Day in the year 2010, we are going back in time ... 160 years, in fact, to 1850. Here is a Valentine Card from that very year. Cards of this age are difficult to find. I am very lucky to have acquired it. Given the card's extremely fragile condition, it is a wonder that 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 that it was once sealed:


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