Beautifully ornate VICTORIAN Valentine's Day cards reveal how people wooed their [tr]

UK Daily Mail ^ | February 13, 2017 | Jo Tewwdy

[C19fan]

For many, February 14th has evolved to be the antithesis of romance, a day where a 50 per cent mark-up on a bunch of wilting red roses has become par for the course.

Roll back the centuries though and wooing was an altogether more authentic affair.

A set of Victorian Valentine's Day cards - including beautifully ornate designs in paper and cloth - show just how our 19th century counterparts won the hearts of their paramours.

[C19fan]

Thomas Hardy in "Far from the Madding Crowd" used a Valentine's Day card to set the plot in motion.

[csvset]

In other Valentine's Day news, we have this.

Indonesian Muslim school students protest Valentine's Day

[Conservative4Ever]

Wooing is the operative word here. Do people still woo? I get the impression it is more like, “what da ya say, sister.” I could be wrong.

[MUDDOG]

Thanks for the warning!

I don’t want to end up like a Thomas Hardy character.

[mouse1]

https://www.facebook.com/latinlifeofficial/photos/a.704831922928998.1073741830.702437749835082/1286884178057100/?type=3

Happy Valentines

[PUGACHEV]

19th Century lithography is unequalled, even today. Just look at some of the theater posters in the Library of Congress collection to see how high the standards were back then.

[Mariner]

Valentines day is a curse to men.

Every man I ever met hates it.

[dfwgator]

I think of the Married With Children episode where they auction off the last box of chocolates with all the men who waited until the last moment.

[Trillian]

We don’t really celebrate, but I do bake sweets for everyone. I love to bake. The cards are beautiful.

[CrazyIvan]

Being good friends with my choir director and voice coach has its advantages. I and several friends have arranged for a studly young quartet to surprise our wives with flowers and a serenade tomorrow.

[Albion Wilde]

19th Century lithography is unequalled, even today. Just look at some of the theater posters in the Library of Congress collection to see how high the standards were back then.

And they made all those illustration engravings by hand. Amazing.

The other element is the paper, which was made with virgin pulp and pure cotton or linen fibers, because there was no polyester then. Recycled paper didn't become a "thing" until the 1980s.

I imagine the inks were still largely plant-based and natural, as well.

[bgill]

Mine will be, “When’s dinner?”

[bgill]

"This protest was organised as we have seen on television that Valentine's Day tends to be associated with free sex," said Pandu Satria, organiser of the demonstration that was attended by scores of students. "That makes us afraid."

Quick, bring those potential Democrat voters here!