The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1934-02-05
THE INDIANAPOLIS TIMES
Hove a Hobby
Desire Old
Valentines
Cupid's Aids Treasured
for Beauty and
Messages.
BY MRS. c. o. ROBINSON
Times Hobby Editor

BY MRS. C. o. ROBINSON
Times Hobby Editor
oh Valentine Of long ago,
Amidst your fringe and laces,
OF romance that you signify
Are there not left some traces?
And she who kept you for so long
And hoped and loved and trusted,
Did she corral her ardent swain
Or was her romance busted?
n
The ancient and sentimental
custom of sending valentines
has given the collector field
charged with romance in which
to search for trophies. Without
the propinquity of the modern
rumble seat and movie. courtship
in olden days moved with digni-
fed mein through various stages
of intensity, but on st. Valentines
day the repressed sutton could
pour out his heart yearnings in
ecstatic rhyme.
When found tucked away be-
tween the pages Of old books or
in keepsake boxes in the attic,
these languishing missiVes con-
jure up visions of bluShing maids
and ardent SWANS in whose pal
pitating young hearts they had
created response sufficient to sug-
gest their careful preservation.
Collectors are delighted with these
pulsating illusions which some
times are exquisite, sometimes
amusing, but always intriguing.
Gifts are the most ancient of
Valentine acknowledgement and
during the reign of Charles II OF
England, the first friend seen
upon st. Valentines day was
chosen as the recipient of the
gift. Samuel Pepys, ever the
raconteur of intimate detail, is au-
thority for the custom since he
recorded the happenings of each
Valentine day in his diary.
On Feb. IA, 1861, he wrote:
Il and Mrs. Batten, my Valen-
tine, to the exchange and there
upon a payre of embroydered and
six payre of plain white gloves, I
laid out 40s upon her"
Autograph albums were popu-
lar valentine gifts in Victorian
days, possibly because they af-
forded space for poems OF
devotion. 1 own one given to my
grandmother before her marriage
in 1854, which apparently was a
valentine. Between the gilt dec
Grated, pearl inlaid covers, hearts
and flowers are drawn with
Spencerian f1ourishes, an accom-
plishment of that time, James
A. B. the donor dedicated the fol-
lowing fervent poem to Miss Jen-
ME-:
oh, had 1 the genii's power
I'll tell you what I'd do
Into a little tempting flower
I'd turn myself into.
Then I'd grow down in yonder isle
Where Jennie d come to pick me
At first she'd look and then she'd smile
And in her bosom stick me.
She did not marry James In
spite of-or maybe because of-his
poetry.
The oldest paper valentines
found by collectors are attributed
to the middle eighteenth century.
They were made and decorated
by hand and often inscribed with
tender sentiment expressed in
home made doggerel of excruciat-
ing meter. Two of this type, the
earliest known examples, are ex-
actly alike. One is in the British
museum and the other in the
notable collection assembled by
Frank House Baer of Cleveland.
They were made by the same gay
beau of clever hand but faithless
heart, for they were sent to differ
ent lady loves. Since both were
cherished, his duplicity obviously
was not discovered until by a
quirk of fate each became mu-
scum piece.
About 1925 Autographed val
entines were made commercially
in much the same manner
as Currier and Ives prints, and
needless to say these are rare
treasures today.