Valentine, circa 1920.
V90.2.
Gift of Mrs. Francis Aronson.

Verses and greetings from one lover to another on St. Valentine's Day have been popular for centuries. Written, paper valentines began to appear after 1400 and were given in place of gifts. The oldest "valentine" in existence was made in the 1400s and is in the collection of the British Museum.

The valentine featured here dates from the 1920s and has a lever beside the bow on the girl's hat. When turned, the lever moved other pieces of the card to produce a new image in her eyes and just above her valise.

Caption:

Valentine
"I've made the first "move"
So why not get wise
that you're a
"Movie-Hero"
in my "eyes."

Click the lever beside her bow to see the second part of the card.