B2—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, February 4,1984
Create Your Own 'Antique' Valentine
BY SALLY BAIR
Staff Correspondent
“The rose is red the grape is
green
The days are past that I have
seen
The roses red, the violet blue
Carnations are sweet and so
are you
If you love me as I love you
No knife shall cut our love in
tw0...”
If it’s February, Valentine’s Day
is just around the comer, and
sentiments like the one above can
be found in every card shop. Well,
perhaps the sentiments today are
not quite like the one above which
was found in a card from 1830.
Valentines and the sentiments
they carry have been around for a
long time, and have enjoyed
popularity in this country since the
.ne iss influence was dominant along with the German,
and this is a design from 1850, believed to be Swiss. A
description says that the Swiss influence is felt because of
“using all areas for cutting." The motifs of the central heart
and the floral turns are so well defined that they could be
presented as individual enlarged single cuttings.
Valentines have been exchanged in this country since
colonial times, in a custom which probably had its origins in
ancient Rome. Pennsylvania Germans utilized their own skills
in making finely detailed scherenschnitte colored with water
colors. It took hours to create one of these individual
Valentines, but there was more leisure time for creating since
there was no television or other electronic equipment to fill
the evening hours. These are reproductions of Valentines
dating from the 1740’5.t0 the 1840's.
Revolutionary War period.
Legend has it that the first
Valentine was a message sent in
ancient Rome from St. Valentine
himself on the night before he was
put to death to a girl he had
befriended and whose sight he had
restored. Over the years the idea of
sending Valentines has become
quite widespread, and not reserved
just for the one you love. After all,
where would the elementary
school Valentine box be, if that
were the case.
Janet Birch, Hershey, is con
ducting a class in making
reproductions of antique Penn
sylvania German Valentines at the
Hershey Museum of American
Life, and there was so much in
terest she had to add a second
class.
In a book called “A History of
Valentines,” by Ruth Webb Lee,
the author said, “More often than
not they(Valentines) were
proposals of marriage and a form
of love making that relieved the
shy suitor of saying what was in his
heart by proxy.”
The Pennsylvania German
Valentines were elaborate
creations, often scherenschnitte
colored with water colors. These
Valentines date from the 1740’s to
the 1840’s according to Janet. She
adds, “People had more leisure
time then to think of love and
anitcipate Valentine’s Day.”
She says that Valentines in those
days carried no postage, but were
folded and sealed with wax, mostly
in red. “The were then hand
delivered to the lady’s door.” If the
lady in question lived out of town,
the important Valentine was
wrapped and put on the stage
coach to be delivered. Now that is
romantic!
Janet notes that it was not until
1845 that there was a uniform
postal service and envelopes began
to be used. For collectors, she
points out that the envelopes are
probably more valuable today than
the Valentines they earned,
especially if they have the mark
which was used as a stamp.
In addition to the intricate art
work of scissors cutting, pin
pricking and water coloring, many
Valentines carried interesting
prose. One which is from a I.an
caster man reads as follows, “God
and the Trinity thought up the
institution of marriage He also
told me the oath which I give you
today my birdie. If you will
become my wife, I will be faithful
and exercise pious duties, that
good fortune and peace will grow
and besides this, our house and
wealth will profit by the work
which we do. This do I write to you,
beloved treasure, your faithful
Philipp in the year, 1753.”
This indeed seems to be a
proposal of marriage. According to
Janet the first Valentines were
usually sent by men, and the ladies
replied to their valentine.
The following verse leaves no
doubt as to the giver’s wishes:
February the fourteenth day
It’s Valentine they say
I choose you from among the
rest
The reason was I loved you
best
Sure as the grape grows on the
vine
So sure you are my Valentine
The rose is red the violet blue
Lilies are fair and so are you.
After the cutting is done, pin pricking can be done to create
some interesting details on the paper. Here Janet Birch,
instructor, shows Bette Wells how to use the hat pin for best
effect on her Valentine.
Student John Lucas works at antiquing his Valentine after
cutting the design from calligraphy parchment paper. The
antiquing solution is 1 teaspoon instant coffee to 1 tablespoon
boiling water. After it is gently brushed on, the scheren
schnitte is turned upside down on a brown paper, which will
absorb the excess moisture, and covered with a pane of glass
to help flatten it.
-I
Round is the ring that has no
end,
So is my love for you my friend
Again take this in good part
Along with it you have my
heart
But if you do the same refuse
Pray bum this paper and me
excuse.
Another from 1949 reads,
“I’ve often thought that I
would send
A valentine to some dear
friend
Now, though I’ve many friends
tistrue,
My preference is all for you
For if the truth must be con
fessed
Believe me, I like you the
best.”
One of the oldest known
Valentines in American reads, “I
ever will in you remain, let your
heart return again.” It is believed
that this was created by nuns n
Strasbourg!!, who wrote verses and
created Valentines using the
money for charity.
to make the decorative art on
which these messages might have
been carried, Janet says a pair of
manicure scissors is a must. When
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