Ribbons and Lace
Ribbons and frills have been associated with romance since the
days of knighthood when a knight rode into battle with a ribbon
or scarf given him by his lady. The word "Lace" comes from
a Latin word meaning to "snare"
Cupid
Cupid is a Latin word meaning "desire." He was one of the gods of mythology. Cupid
is represented as a chubby, naked, winged boy with a mischievous smile. He used a
bow with a quiver of arrows to transfix the hearts of young men and maidens.
Cherubs are descendants of Cupid. They are shown as lovable little winged creatures
without arrows and quivers. They are usually not mischievous like Cupid.
The Rose
The rose speaks of love and has been the choice of lovers in every century. If you
rearrange the letters of the word rose you get Eros, the god of Love.
Hands
A lady's hands was a favorite decoration that depicted "femininity."
Its beauty was enhanced by adding a frilly cuff and a jeweled ring on
the third finger. Clasped hands represent those of Queen Victoria and
Prince Albert and were symbols of the friendship
between their countries of Germany and England.
Turtle Doves and Love Birds
"Oft have I heard both youth and virgin say
Birds choose their mates, and couples too, this day;
But by their flight I never can divine,
When I shall couple with my Valentine."
Herrick
It was thought that birds chose their mate for the year on February 14.
Doves and pigeons mate for life and therefore were used as a symbol of "fidelity."
Puzzik-circa 1840
A puzzik is a quaint sort of homemade valentine which was a sort of puzzle
that the receiver had to solve. Not only did she have to decipher the message
but also to figure how to refold the paper once it was opened. The order of the
verses was usually numbered, and the recipient had to twist the folds to
determine what was being said.
Daguerreotype-popular from 1840 to the Civil War
An old-time tintype was found in the center of a card surrounded by an
ornamented wreath. Another type was a "Mirror Valentine" which had a
small mirror placed in the center to reflect the happy face of the receiver.
Rebus
Although it had many forms, a rebus usually was a romantic verse written
in ink with certain words omitted and illustrated with a picture.
Meant to be a riddle, they were not always easy to decipher.
Watch Papers
Popular when men carried pocket watches,
these were made to fit the back or front of a pocket watch.
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