VALENTINES DAY, VICTORIAN STYLE
Whether it was Valentine's, Galentine's, or Palentine's Day, hopefully this week you got a reminder that you're loved -- and some good candy! In the 19th century, though, Valentine's Day was mostly a couple day.
Couples had been exchanging love tokens on February 14th for centuries, of course, in memory of the martyred and possibly mythical saint. The Victorians, though, had the romantic sensibility to raise it to an art form -- and the resources to do it.
While spouses certainly marked the day in an era when the love match was the ideal, courting couples really took the day as their own.
Propriety kept gifts in a very narrow range: books, flowers, cards, and perhaps candy. A lady could not accept anything of significant material value from a man -- and a gentleman would never insult her by offering such a thing.
Books were an excellent choice for the literary-minded. In the guise of an entirely respectable work from the Renaissance canon, a couple could get their hands on some very exciting stuff for shared reading sessions. Even better if one reads to the other, as Ella Shane's Duke does.
Then, as now, a fella could hardly go wrong with a bouquet. A 19th century swain, though, did a lot more than throw down a dozen red roses. The Language of Flowers was a big deal (and an earlier post, BTW!) so each stem carried a message. The Duke, for example, always gives Ella purple lilacs, which mean first feelings of love. Her old friend Connor Coughlan sends white roses for innocent intentions, though the gangster is anything but.
The most popular Valentine's token, though, was the card.
By the late 19th century, they were affordable, popular, and in many cases, just lovely.
The Victoria and Albert Museum has a wonderful collection of cards that are absolute extravaganzas of flowers, Cupids, and paper lace. One spectacular piece features "Love's Barometer" with an actual Barometer!
Cards were also where the tradition widened a bit. Just as we often exchange jokey cards with friends, folks sent nastily funny "Vinegar Valentines" to pals for a shared laugh.
The "Vinegar Valentine" tradition wasn't always in good fun, though. They could also go to former sweethearts -- or just someone people didn't like. The Victoria and Albert also has a card of a serpent body with a top-hatted man's head, captioned "Beware the Snake in the Grass."
All of these traditions get a nod in A FATAL OVERTURE. Ella and her Cousin Tommy exchange funny "Vinegar Valentines," and she fields floral messages from her stage-door admirers. And then the Duke arrives, for Ella's first real romantic Valentine's Day....
No spoilers here!
Got a #ThrowbackThursday idea? Drop it in the comments!
Couples had been exchanging love tokens on February 14th for centuries, of course, in memory of the martyred and possibly mythical saint. The Victorians, though, had the romantic sensibility to raise it to an art form -- and the resources to do it.
While spouses certainly marked the day in an era when the love match was the ideal, courting couples really took the day as their own.
Propriety kept gifts in a very narrow range: books, flowers, cards, and perhaps candy. A lady could not accept anything of significant material value from a man -- and a gentleman would never insult her by offering such a thing.
Books were an excellent choice for the literary-minded. In the guise of an entirely respectable work from the Renaissance canon, a couple could get their hands on some very exciting stuff for shared reading sessions. Even better if one reads to the other, as Ella Shane's Duke does.
Then, as now, a fella could hardly go wrong with a bouquet. A 19th century swain, though, did a lot more than throw down a dozen red roses. The Language of Flowers was a big deal (and an earlier post, BTW!) so each stem carried a message. The Duke, for example, always gives Ella purple lilacs, which mean first feelings of love. Her old friend Connor Coughlan sends white roses for innocent intentions, though the gangster is anything but.
The most popular Valentine's token, though, was the card.
By the late 19th century, they were affordable, popular, and in many cases, just lovely.
The Victoria and Albert Museum has a wonderful collection of cards that are absolute extravaganzas of flowers, Cupids, and paper lace. One spectacular piece features "Love's Barometer" with an actual Barometer!
Cards were also where the tradition widened a bit. Just as we often exchange jokey cards with friends, folks sent nastily funny "Vinegar Valentines" to pals for a shared laugh.
The "Vinegar Valentine" tradition wasn't always in good fun, though. They could also go to former sweethearts -- or just someone people didn't like. The Victoria and Albert also has a card of a serpent body with a top-hatted man's head, captioned "Beware the Snake in the Grass."
All of these traditions get a nod in A FATAL OVERTURE. Ella and her Cousin Tommy exchange funny "Vinegar Valentines," and she fields floral messages from her stage-door admirers. And then the Duke arrives, for Ella's first real romantic Valentine's Day....
No spoilers here!
Got a #ThrowbackThursday idea? Drop it in the comments!
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