From Cupid to eCards: A Peek at Valentines Through the Ages

Filed Under Gay Dating, Holidays, Life | February 1st, 2008 

CupidTORONTO (CNW) – The valentine has come a long way from its humble beginnings in the eighteenth century when handmade versions featuring cupids and hearts, embellished with lace and ribbons were exchanged.

Today’s selection of valentines from Carlton Cards transcends the traditional focus on couples and romance. This year’s cards include “from” the family cat and dog and even “Anti-Valentine’s Day” cards for unattached singles.

Here’s a look at how valentines have evolved through the years:

1930s

Funny valentines become popular helping North Americans laugh at their hardships; cards surge in popularity as a replacement for more expensive gifts like flowers and candy.

1940s

Cut-out and stand-up valentines with elements that moved using a metal grommet and paper tab device were all the rage.

1950s

Valentine’s Day expands beyond romance and into more everyday relationships; American Greetings introduces dozens of designs for friends, schoolchildren, teachers and relatives.

1960s

Soft Touch valentines, featuring conversational messages and soft focus photography, were in vogue as young adults searched for ways to differentiate themselves.

1970s

The young and hip gravitated to brightly coloured, oversized valentines with free-form artwork inspired by pop music posters.

1980s

“Big” was in, especially for Valentine’s Day; cards pushed the size limit, including a few that were nearly waist-high!

1990s

The video age inspired juvenile valentines featuring favourite kids’ cartoon characters.

With high-tech communications becoming a way of life, AmericanGreetings.com sent thousands of Valentine’s Day messages through cyberspace for the first time.*

Source: Carlton Cards/American Greetings

* The greeting card metaphor was employed early in the life of the World Wide Web, and by Valentine’s Day 1996 it was popular enough to be documented. That year, Valentine’s cards were offered by Infobahn.com and Sony Entertainment, among others. (Source: Wikipedia: E-Card)