| From the Heart: Vintage Valentines |
| An Esther Howland Valentine greeting, 1849 - 1881 |
So that she could fill all of those orders, Esther recruited volunteers
from her friends at Mt. Holyoke College, who spent week upon week in
her parlor, in something of an assembly line process, putting the cards
together by hand, based on Esther's designs. The next year, the orders
doubled, and Esther hired her first employees to make the cards. She
imported paper from England, pictures from a lithographer in New
York and enameled decorations from Germany. The cards were
extremely elaborate and were covered in satin or silk and often
imported lace and ribbons were used. (Paper lace didn't appear until
the early 1900's.)
Esther's Valentines came to be known throughout the country, and in
just a few years, her business, The New England Valentine Company,
had increased sales to over $100,000.00 a year. Her enterprise
continued to grow and she remained in charge until 1881, when her
father's failing health caused her to sell the business, so that she could
stay at home to take care of him. Her success in business was made all
the more remarkable when you consider that, due to an accident, she
was forced to run the company from a wheelchair for several years in
the 1870's. Esther Howland died in 1904.
Interestingly, she sold the business to George C. Whitney, a
cardmaker in Worcester, who some consider to be the "father of
greeting card verse" in America. George Whitney's descendants were
forced to close the company in Worcester, after the start of World War
II, when paper shortages made it impossible to continue...but not
before what had begun with a few friends in Esther Howland's parlor,
came to be one of the largest greeting card publishing companies in the
world.
from her friends at Mt. Holyoke College, who spent week upon week in
her parlor, in something of an assembly line process, putting the cards
together by hand, based on Esther's designs. The next year, the orders
doubled, and Esther hired her first employees to make the cards. She
imported paper from England, pictures from a lithographer in New
York and enameled decorations from Germany. The cards were
extremely elaborate and were covered in satin or silk and often
imported lace and ribbons were used. (Paper lace didn't appear until
the early 1900's.)
Esther's Valentines came to be known throughout the country, and in
just a few years, her business, The New England Valentine Company,
had increased sales to over $100,000.00 a year. Her enterprise
continued to grow and she remained in charge until 1881, when her
father's failing health caused her to sell the business, so that she could
stay at home to take care of him. Her success in business was made all
the more remarkable when you consider that, due to an accident, she
was forced to run the company from a wheelchair for several years in
the 1870's. Esther Howland died in 1904.
Interestingly, she sold the business to George C. Whitney, a
cardmaker in Worcester, who some consider to be the "father of
greeting card verse" in America. George Whitney's descendants were
forced to close the company in Worcester, after the start of World War
II, when paper shortages made it impossible to continue...but not
before what had begun with a few friends in Esther Howland's parlor,
came to be one of the largest greeting card publishing companies in the
world.
| A few of the cards on this page came from Flickr, some were kindly shared with me by my e-friend, Yvonne, and some are from my own postcard collection. With many thanks to Yvonne! Nancy |
| An Esther Howland greeting |
Esther Howland: The Mother of the American Valentine
The nineteen year-old who was responsible for the popularity of the
Valentine greeting in America, not only went on to make a personal
fortune from the venture, but she established a new industry...neither
of which was an ordinary accomplishment for a woman in the latter
part of the 1800's!
When Esther Howland, of Worcester, Massachusetts, received an
elaborate Valentine greeting from an acquaintance in England in 1849,
it was the first time she'd ever seen a greeting card for this particular
holiday or a card as large and intricately designed as this one. Esther
and her friends were so impressed with it that her father, who owned a
stationery supply company, imported some of the cards from England
to sell in America. When the cards arrived, Esther decided that she
could improve on the greetings with designs of her own. She made a
few samples and prevailed upon her brother to take them on his next
sales trip. She hoped to get enough orders to make a few dollars of
spending money for herself, perhaps, even as much as a hundred
dollars. But, when her brother returned, much to Esther's
astonishment, he brought with him orders that amounted to
$5,000.00!
The nineteen year-old who was responsible for the popularity of the
Valentine greeting in America, not only went on to make a personal
fortune from the venture, but she established a new industry...neither
of which was an ordinary accomplishment for a woman in the latter
part of the 1800's!
When Esther Howland, of Worcester, Massachusetts, received an
elaborate Valentine greeting from an acquaintance in England in 1849,
it was the first time she'd ever seen a greeting card for this particular
holiday or a card as large and intricately designed as this one. Esther
and her friends were so impressed with it that her father, who owned a
stationery supply company, imported some of the cards from England
to sell in America. When the cards arrived, Esther decided that she
could improve on the greetings with designs of her own. She made a
few samples and prevailed upon her brother to take them on his next
sales trip. She hoped to get enough orders to make a few dollars of
spending money for herself, perhaps, even as much as a hundred
dollars. But, when her brother returned, much to Esther's
astonishment, he brought with him orders that amounted to
$5,000.00!
| An Esther Howland greeting |
| The heart has reasons that reason cannot know. -- Pascal |
| The heart that loves is always young. -- Greek Proverb |
| Love lights more fires than hate can extinguish. -- Ella Wheeler Wilcox |
| Don't forget to love yourself. -- Soren Kierkegaard |
