A brief history of (charming and mean) Valentine's cards | V&A

From floral bouquets and scented hearts, to casual insults and a pig in human clothes – marvel at the sweet (and sometimes quite mean!) Valentine's cards in the V&A's collection.

Join Curator Zorian Clayton as he shows us a selection of delightful cards from our Prints collection. As cards were a new phenomena in the 19th century, people went wild for the opportunity to show a special someone that they were fond of them. Ranging from one penny to three guineas (£250 in today's money), take a look at intricate mechanical cards, delicate paper cages, ceramic hearts and ruder 'vinegar valentines' sent between friends – and find out whether the language of love really has changed very much since the Victorian era.

00:00 The origins of Valentine's Day
02.00 Oldest cards
04:13 Novelty designs
06:24 Mechanical cards
08:50 Vinegar Valentines
10:57 The language of flowers (floriography)
13:40 Contemporary ceramic and mosaic Valentines

See objects for yourself in our Prints and Drawings Study Room: https://www.vam.ac.uk/info/study-rooms#prints-and-drawings-study-room

Find out more in our Print collection: https://www.vam.ac.uk/collections/print

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