Valentine Cards To Express Love

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The valentine card once sent by my dad is still kept intact by my mom. The heart shaped paper with heart shaped lacing at the sides has grown yellow. The expression in the card is neither a poem nor a big missive but is few simple lines that express great intimacy and love. It reads,

Dear love,

"Somebody said, love is not finding someone to live with; it's finding someone you can't live without. I cannot live without you so; I thought I would grow old along with you. Will you be my valentine?"

From love

Wasn't that mellifluent? Valentine cards are manufactured on an enormous scale today. In terms of greeting cards sent, valentines day ranks second only to Christmas. However Valentine card is not a new concept. It started in the 18th century. The story behind the valentine card is about a nineteen-year-old girl, Esther Howland.

Esther Howland born in Worcester, Massachusetts in 1828, was the youngest of three children. Her father owned the largest book and stationary store in Worcester of those days. At the age of nineteen, she received an elaborate valentine card from one of her father's friend. She got interested in that card and wanted to make similar or even better cards than the one she received. She asked her father to order lace paper and other supplies from England and New York City. She made a dozen samples, which her brother added to his list for his next sales trip.

Esther hoped that she would at least get the orders for 0. However the girl was stunned when her brother returned with more than 00 in advance. The grand work began. She recruited her friends to work as "assemblers" as she had recognized the potential in mass-producing valentine's day cards. The business grew to an extent that it got a profit of 0,000 every year. Thus this ingenious woman made a place for herself in the history.

Her Valentine Cards
Esther's business developed with advertisement and word of mouth. Her business growth made other manufacturers to compete with Esther's productions but; unfortunately they never made that prominence mark. Her creations had a touch of magic. The missives drove fantasy, romance and inspiration. None could compete with the style, and quality of Esther Howland.

Esther Howland introduced countless variations that included lift-up flaps and accordion-like folds that elevated one portion of the design and created a shadowbox effect. She published a book of 131 different verses that dealers could use to help customers to personalize their valentine.

Esther Howland developed valentine for all budgets. Her simple cards were priced for just five cents, but highly elaborate and personalized cards with an inner envelope for a secret love message; lock of hair, or ring was priced for . With her aesthetic creations and business maneuver she built the new England Valentine Company into a flourishing business.

Howland creations sold out
Esther Howland sold out her business to another Worcester stationer in 1881 to take care of her ailing father. Though she lost the business she is still credited as the mother of American valentine to this day.

She voiced out her expression of love on valentines day in the days when women were not even allowed to walk out of the house alone. She captured the imagination of the public and translated the fantasies of their dreams into treasured mementos. Her cards were the thresholds to proposal of marriage, romance and intimacy. She changed the heritage of the way love was celebrated in the world.