Evening star., 1936-02-09
The violet blue
Sugar is sweet,

their mates by lot during the Luper-
calian celebration of the ancient pa
gans. Centuries have not diminished
its music or its meaning. 1t is still
legal tender in the realms OF the
heart.
The President and Mrs. Roosevelt,
in the crowded hours of oficial du-
ties, observe the day by sending val
entines only to their grandchildren.
Many valentines are received at the
White House each year, mostly from
school children scattered throughout
the Nation.
Valentines were first commercially
manufactured in America Sc years
ago. Esther Howland of Worcester,
Mass, received a valentine from Eng
land. A counterpart of that historic
valentine, directed in the same hand,
is now in the British Museum. It
was made of paper foot square,
folded for posting into 4inch squares.
The seal was a heart crudely drawn
in red ink. A sentimental verse,
written on each square, was read by
unfolding, with q fifth verse written
around q gilt heart in the center.
ESTTER ROWLAND had just been
- graduated by Mount Holyoke Gnd
was ready for a job. But in those
days young ladies did not take jobs.
Searching for something to occupy
y,a~ ck inf fod in tho
valentine to the extent that she de-
signed one Of her own. Esther's ia
ther and brother had large station
cry business at Worcester, with her
brother acting as sales manager. The
valentine she had devised was used
as a sample on his next sales trip.
Much to the surprise Of the firm and
to his sister he brought back a $1,000
order for valentines. With the help
of friends Esther designed more and
more of the interesting missives and
in a few years the firm was doing an
annual valentine business exceeding
100000.
Frank H. Baer. transportation COM
missioner of Cleveland, Ohio, is re-
puted to have the best and largest
collection of valentines in the world.
1t contains 1000 specimens, dating
from 1720 to 1880, and for interest
surpasses the exhibit in the British
Museum. The collection has been
loaned for educational purposes to
libraries in Boston, Philadelphia and
Cleveland. the Pratt Institute in
Brooklyn and the Cleveland Museum
of Art.
Mr.. Baer attended an auction sale
to buy book he wanted only to find
it sold. He spent a few dollars for
a bundle of old valentines and these
we're the beginning of his collection.
1t now includes valentines from Eng
land, France, Germany, Austria, Scot
land and America.
The rare. old handmade valentines,
which the collector loves and values
highest are framed and hung on his
study walls for daily enjoyment. One
of the most interesting is the elabo-
rately decorated bundle" handker-
chief which some sailor carried from
an oriental port 10 MS sweetheart IN
quiet New England fishing village.
These handkerchiefs were large
enough to carry bundles and we're
used by the village women for mar
keting.
A N EARLY day valentine from Ger
- many has the figures Of boy
and girl in a design Of neediepoint
pin -pricked by hand. The intrinsic
ally priceless missives Of g later Pc
riod are filed away in trunks and
boxes for safekeeping.
One of the largest greeting card
firms in America says there has been
q steady increase in the valentine
business during the past 20 years. It
Is higher now than at any time In the
past half century. A demand for tha