Mother
of the American Valentine
It
is truly amazing that this one woman could have
had such a lasting impact upon the millions of Valentines
sent annually in this country. This is the story
of one "visionary", whose talent, imagination,
dedication, and perseverance created a fascinating
industry, and whom the Greeting Card Association
has honored with the creation of the annual Esther
Howland Award.
The
Howland Family, with prestigious lineage as far
back as the Pilgrim fathers, operated the largest
book and stationery store in Worcester, Massachusetts.
As an impressionable young student at The Mount
Holyoke Female Seminary, Class of 1847, and a contemporary
of the young poet Emily Dickinson, Esther had been
exposed to the annual Valentine festivities, which
were later banned by the college for being too frivolous!
After graduating at the age of nineteen, she received
an elaborate English Valentine from one of her fathers'
business associates, and was confident that she
was capable of making similar - even better ones.
She convinced her father to order lace paper and
other supplies from England and New York City and,
with characteristic determination, made a dozen
samples, which her brother added to his inventory
for his next sales trip. Secretly hoping for as
much as $200 In orders, they were stunned when her
brother returned with more than $5000 in advance
sales - more than she could hope to make herself.
Recruiting friends and creating her now-famous assembly
line, her business was born. Advertising and word-of-mouth,
based on a beautiful product and a wide range of
prices, led to a $100,000. per year business, and
assured this ingenious woman a place in history.
Her valentines were known from Maine to California,
and today's collectors can often recognize them
by their characteristic refinement and detail.
Designing
and creating these memorable missives required artistry
and inspiration, as well as a touch of magic. The
finished products evoked fantasy and romance, and
set a trend for more than thirty years. While other
manufacturers competed for the affection of the
public, none could compete with the quality, taste,
and style of Esther Howland. While she was not the
first to create Valentines in America, she is credited
with having popularized the lace Valentine, and
propelling it into a major industry. The accolade,
"The Mother of the American Valentine"
- first used in a newspaper article shortly after
her death - places her deep within the heart of
each of us, for Valentine's Day has become an integral
aspect of our culture.
The business thrived despite her semi-retirement
in 1866 and a recurrent knee injury forced her to
conduct her operations from a wheelchair for the
next fifteen years. Finally, in 1881, morally compelled
to care for her ailing father, she sold her business
to an associate, George Whitney, whose company patterned
many of their cards on the Howland model. She died
in Quincy, Massachusetts in 1904 - never having
married, but certainly having vicariously lived
a magical love story.
This
totally modern woman, who dared to establish a formidable
business at a time when women were not encouraged
to assert themselves outside the home, has had a
profound effect on all of us. From the elementary
school "Valentine Box" and the millions
of dollars in greeting cards marketed annually -
to say nothing of the financial impact on our postal
system - the popularization of the holiday is indebted
largely to Esther Howland's business acumen! Her
contribution to the sending of Valentine cards cannot
be over-emphasized.
Esther
Howland's vision captured the imagination of the
public, and translated the fantasies of their dreams
into treasured mementos. Her cards became hallmarks
of cherished relationships and unspoken words signifying
love and beauty, romance and even proposals of marriage.
They became treasures to be kept forever. They became
the incredible heritage of a woman who changed the
way LOVE is celebrated in America.
The
Evolution of the Valentine
From
the earliest tokens of affection - perhaps a feather,
a flower, or a fern frond - we have chosen to honor
our beloved with a cherished emblem. Selected with
love and respect, and meant to reflect the most
sensitive emotion, these objects have evolved over
the centuries. Handmade devotionals, delicately
cut in parchment, and tenderly created in convents
in France, Germany, and Holland since the 16th century,
are the precursors of the modern Valentine, in the
purest sense. As the paper industry evolved, and
decorative paper became available in the 18th century,
it became the vehicle for sentimental poetry, the
canvas for elegant calligraphy, and cherished friendship
greetings could be beautifully created and saved
for posterity. The paper Valentine, commemorating
February 14th, the date of the martyrdom of the
patron of lovers, Saint Valentine, in 276 A.D. ,
was catapulted into its great popularity by the
combination of two factors: the availability of
paper, and a universal postal system. Until that
time, a "Valentine" referred to the chosen
"person" and the gift was frequently jewelry,
lingerie, or gloves.
The
overwhelming success of the English cameo-embossing
and lace paper industry enabled the magic of delicacy
and exquisite beauty to be combined in a manner
yet to be reproduced. They reached their apex in
the period of 1840 to 1860, with the achievement
of magnificent and elaborate motifs and their incredibly
elegant embellishments. Many designs were adaptations
of earlier Austrian techniques: silk chiffon insert
panels encrusted with flowers, jewels, and scraps,
intricately cut beehives that lifted open when a
silken cord was gently elevated, and flaps that
opened to reveal hidden messages or images. A receptive
public found the images tantalizing, and price often
had little to do with acquiring them!
In
America, Valentines were largely handcrafted and
the influence of the immigrant German cultures resulted
in the wonderful folk-art paper items known as scherenschnitte,
paper cutting, and fraktur, paper designs incorporating
the German writing and imagery. Paper was scarce
and costly, and free time to create special missives
was also limited because of the responsibilities
of work and school. The handmade love-tokens reflected
the beauty and tenderness of personal communication,
from the most primitive woven paper hearts and hands
to the most elegant penmanship.
American
manufacturers provided wood engraved or lithographic
Valentines, both sentimental and comic, as early
as the 1830s. Elaborate European missives were occasionally
imported, but prohibitively expensive and unavailable
to the general public. When Esther Howland launched
her dynamic enterprise, she found a vast market,
receptive and eager to purchase her cards. Competition
existed, but Esther Howland reigned as the person
who made lace Valentines into a positive commercial
venture.
As
the Industrial Revolution changed manufacturing,
it also changed lifestyles. Time became the most
important factor, and mass-production, which could
create more, cheaper, faster - also made them less
appealing. The rapid pace left less time for hand-finished
details. Machine-made cards were different, but
many were lovely in their own, more modern way.
Chromolithography led the path to album-sized cards,
postal cards, and die-cut fabrications of every
popular theme, from children and romantic couples,
to automobiles, ships, sewing machines, and even
dirigibles! Their beauty was appreciated, and the
popularity of Valentines persisted, yet the delicate
fantasies, elaborate layered effects, water-colored
posies, and delightful details of Esther Howland
were only treasured memories. By 1881, when she
sold her business to George Whitney, society's pace
was already entering a modern era.
source: From
Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Happy
Valentine's Day!!!
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