Spotlight on the Collections

Over the past century, Valentine’s Day cards have changed dramatically. A visit to any store selling valentines today will reveal a variety of cards in pink and red with sentiments ranging from sugary-sweet to outlandishly comic. These picture postcards, from the Wellesley Historical Society’s Greeting Card and Picture Postcard Collection, date from 1908-1911 and illustrate a more restrained way to mark the holiday. These cards take their cues from nature and use a variety of colors including blues, browns, and greens while also incorporating symbols that are not associated with Valentine’s Day today, such as four-leaf clovers and spider webs.

If you would like to learn more about the postcards in the Wellesley Historical Society collection, please click here.