FEBRUARY 3, 2011 – MARCH 25, 2011
Valentines cards have been popularly printed, mailed and received in Europe and America since the 1800s. Printing innovations of the Industrial Revolution and the professionalization of the U.S. postal service ushered in a large number of card manufacturers. The design of early Valentines cards drew from popular art forms of the day decorated with the iconic Valentine decorative motifs of flowers, hearts and cupids.Collapsible three-dimensional, or “pop-up” cards, became especially popular with the addition of delicate layers of brightly-colored tissue paper and a sculptural quality that were easily mailed. The Biggs Museum is pleased to present a large sample of the late 19th- and early 20th-century pop-up Valentine card collection of Ann Marcus. Mrs. Marcus has been collecting these delicate art forms for over fifteen years and has amassed a collection of hundreds of cards.