Dear Friends and Lovers of All Things Romantic,
Welcome to another wonderful year at my Victorian Treasury. Valentines
and expressions of love are the centerpiece of my site, where I focus
on providing a unique resource for the collector, historian, or
craftsperson. I enjoy sharing my passion through my personal
collection, my research, the articles I write, my posters, and the
cards I create. You will find helpful links, as well, to expand your
romantic adventure through other interesting resources online.
As President of the National Valentine Collectors Association, now in
its thirty-fourth year, I continue to dedicate myself to encouraging
the preserving and collecting of Valentines. I hope you will visit the
website, www.valentinecollectors.com,
and consider joining. Members receive a full color, quarterly
newsletter with a mail auction, interesting articles, and pertinent
information.
As Vice-President of the Ephemera Society of America, (www.ephemerasociety.org),
I encourage you to look at their comprehensive website. All manner of
paper collectibles receive serious attention from dealers, collectors,
and academia. My recent cover article for their Journal, on scrapbooks,
shows the incredible connections between all these marvelous treasures
we adore. Finding others to share your enthusiasm, and benefiting from
their annual conference and paper fair, are important advantages.
Each year, I am happy to add more articles to the body of information about Valentines. In the February 2010 issue of Antiques and Collecting Magazine, you will find my latest article about Civil War Valentines. In the Winter issue of FirstCut, the journal of the Guild of American Papercutters,
you will find my article on “round gifts” – from the early offerings to
the Moon Goddess, to our traditional round keepsake Valentines!
And please do view my most recent Valentine video on www.history.com
-- a beautiful site about Valentines and their ancient and modern
history, from cherubs to chocolate! The exact video link is: http://www.history.com/video.do?name=valentinesday&bcpid=6555685001&bclid=1672160848&bctid=8612163001
Valentines range from tender handmade ones, to elaborate lace paper
confections, children's cards meant for the school Valentine exchange,
caustic comic ones, celluloid devices, and even postcards. Within this
range there are cards with religious and romantic motifs, as well as
Civil War and cartoon characters -- so there is something to appeal to
everyone. Please visit my “Library”,
where I am always adding new articles for your reading pleasure or
research. Some of you have written about the extensive time you spend
here, and I couldn't be happier!
The history of the Valentine is an
important aspect, as Valentine's Day has been widely celebrated for
centuries. The historic puzzle purse seems to have a unique appeal, as
the complex folded puzzle reveals a message, but, once opened, is a
challenge to reassemble. Two years ago, as a gift to all of you, I posted a template, instructions for folding, and an image of an antique from my collection.
My handmade Valentines, the original purpose of this site, have
expanded to every kind of greeting card, and they are still custom
made. Please do email me for any special orders and needs. I have
licensed three card designs to Marian Heath Greeting Cards, and four
designs for Gartner, for Target stores, so I am pleased to be sharing
my vintage ideas with so many of you.
I wish you another year of love, and the hope that you will join me in these two wonderful organizations.
Nancy
President, National Valentine Collectors' Association (www.valentinecollectors.com)
Vice-President, The Ephemera Society of America
(www.ephemerasociety.org)
Special thanks -- and love -- to my son, Matthew, for his unending contribution to the content and design of this website.
|
