Esther Howland is often considered the Mother of the American Valentine. She was a pioneer
in the American valentine industry who popularized ornate, hand crafted, valentine's day cards
using an array of trimmings including lace, colored paper and cut-out flowers that captured
the hearts of America.
It all started when Esther Howland of Worcester, Massachusetts, became enamored with valentines
imported from England. In the 1800's, handmade cards and correspondences of love were not
a new concept.
These messages between lovers had been circulating in Europe since at least the 15th century,
and by the early 19th century, the United Kingdom. was producing significant numbers
of commercial valentines.
So when Esther Howland, at the age of 19, received an English valentine that was decorated
with an elaborate fine lace border and cut out ornate flowers,she was enthralled.
The valentine wasn't actually for Esther, but more on that in just a bit.
In the center of the valentine was a small pale green envelope that contained a note
with a red border and a verse made just for Valentine's Day.
Esther fell in love with, well, the valentine (not the sender).
You see, Esther was the daughter of a stationery store owner and the valentine was sent to
Esther's father from a business associate. and Esther, having a business sense already
from the family business, snatched up the idea to make ornate and elaborate valentines
for people in the United States.
Elaborate Valentine greeting cards like these had to be imported from Europe and were not
affordable to many Americans so Esther got busy and developed her own line of Valentines's
day cards and messages.
It took artistry and imagination, as well as a touch of magic, to design and create
Esther's Valentine's day cards. Fantasy and romance were evoked by the finished
goods, and for over thirty years they set a trend.
Although other manufacturers battled for the public's attention, none could compete with
Esther Howland's quality, taste, and style.
By incorporating ornate touches into her creations, Esther tuned into the sentimentality of Valentine's
Day.
She used glitter and other embellishments of novelty to catch the eye and make her cards
stand out.
She also featured moving pieces, pop-ups, and three-dimensional effects such as accordion
paper, mechanical flowers, and slides that revealed poems and odes of love and affection.
And she often designed more costly cards using expensive fabrics and materials such as linen,
lace, and satin.
Esther wasn't afraid to experiment with her designs. In comparison to the traditional
one-page card with a message on the front, she revolutionized the concept of cards which
open to reveal messages.
These valentine's day cards by Esther Howland are still cherished today by collectors of
vintage art.
Esther Howland was a pioneer in other ways as well. Not only was she a female entrepreneur
and a perfect example of independent womanhood in the 19th century, she also pioneered for
women in the work place when she hired a team of women to assemble her handmade cards.
She is said to have been among the first employers of her time to pay women a decent wage.
Esther named her company the New England Valentine Company and she began making $100,000-plus
in annual sales which is about $3 million in today's money.
Esther's woman-owned multi million dollar business had a highly successful run until
Esther retired in 1881.
Despite the romantic nature of her business, Esther never married. And yet the popularity
of her unique cards was a social phenomenon that changed the way Americans think of February
14th.
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In History