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Make & Take: Valentine Workshop
February 1, 2025 | 11:00 am - 1:00 pm
Bits of colored paper, lace, ribbon and glitter…
These are the ingredients for our drop-in Valentine Workshop. Be inspired by late 19th-century cards, as well as popular postcards from the 1900s.
New England is the birthplace of the American Valentine’s Day industry thanks to Esther Howland, who made cards while a student at Mount Holyoke College in the late 1840s. Her father was a stationer in Worcester, Massachusetts and she later created sample cards for her brother to show clients. Hoping for $200 in pre-orders, Esther’s creations resulted in more than 2x that in orders in her first year of business.
The practice of sending valentines took off in the post-Cilvil War years, thanks in part to the expansion of the United States Postal Service. By the 1870s, Esther Howland’s home-based enterprise, with an all-female workforce, was generating over $100,000 in sales. She eventually merged her company with that of Edward Taft and the new business was called the New England Valentine Company.
Samples of valentine cards from the museum collection will be on display for inspiration. Participants are welcome to drop in at any point during the workshop timespan.
A suggested donation of $5 will cover the cost of materials.
Ages 10 and above; ages 16 and under must be accompanied by an adult.
Preregistration is not required.
This program is part of our Winter at the Farmstead schedule.
Learn more about Esther in this Library of Congress Blog entry: Esther Howland and the Business of Love, posted by Esther Terrell.
Graphic created using images by StockCake, and Europeana via Unsplash.