Exchanging Valentine's cards is one of the sweetest things about Valentine's Day and this tradition dates back to 15th century. The first known Valentine's card was sent in 1415 by Charles, Duke of Orléans, to his wife while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London. The holiday itself was celebrated long before that even. It is named after Saint Valentine, a Christian martyr who lived in the 3rd century. According to legend, he performed secret marriages for young lovers, defying the Roman Emperor Claudius II's decree that young men remain single. When his actions were discovered, he was executed on February 14th....the day we now celebrate love and the act of exchanging loving words.
This 1961 newsreel from British Pathé shows how greatly Valentine's Day cards have evolved from the elaborately decorated cards of the Victorian-era to the simple messages of sentiment seen in the 1960s. King Gridley, an illustrator, is shown painting a light-hearted message of love on a card and then we get a view of Valentine's cards being mass-produced at a factory in Edmonton, England.
Happy Valentine's Day!
Ready to watch St. Valentine's Cards? Simply click on the link below.
Similar British Pathé newsreels:
Valentines (1939) - 1:45 sec
No comments:
Post a Comment