The Comic Valentine of mid-Victorian England

Cupid’s Messenger

In Victorian times the postman’s bag on the 14th of February was a heavy burden.

As the over-weighted man of missives toiled and staggered to their doorstep, the would-be recipients were already in eager watchfulness of the Valentine bringer. These poor souls were unaware that the envelope, addressed in disguised handwriting, contained a crude coloured print on flimsy paper representing hideous forms and faces intended to be more or less appropriate to themselves.

To add insult to injury there would be a verse or two of printed doggerel. Should you be particularly disliked a poisoned message, scrawled in pencil underneath the verse, would be appended with glee by the abusive sender.

It’s not difficult to imagine that many of these so-called comic valentines were torn into a heap of little pieces and consigned to the fire.

Opposite
Comic valentine
No publisher
158 x 209mm (6¼ x 8¼in)
Mid 19th century

Haste thee with this Valentine,
you silly man of letters,
And try and do the best you can
to serve and please your betters,
For I’d sooner live an old maid
or else give up the ghost
Than wed a grinning postman,
as stupid as a post.

Albums & Scraps	Victorian Albums Victorian Scraps Father Tuck's Complete Picture Maker
Saint Valentines Day	Lace-Paper Valentines Comic Valentines
Easter & Fairyland	Easter Frolics In Fairyland
Christmas & New Year	A Victorian Christmas A Christmas Menagerie
Printed Ephemera	The Calendar Reward of Merit The English Lotteries
Publishers	Victorian Greeting Card Publishers