Valentine 1845 - 1875

Curator: I find this unassuming little "Valentine," created anonymously between 1845 and 1875, quietly captivating. It’s over a century old, rendered in colored pencil on, what looks like, embossed paper. It feels both intimate and incredibly distant, doesn’t it? Editor: Intimate, yes, but melancholic, too. The soft, faded colors and the solitary name "Edith Irone" inscribed in the center create a palpable sense of longing and a touch of austerity that makes me question the socio-economic factors surrounding female intimacy in that period. Was it acceptable for women to be openly and visibly courting? Curator: That’s an intriguing point! It is a Valentine, though, presumably for a woman named Edith. And isn’t there something beautiful in its quietude? There is no over-the-top sentimentality that we would probably associate with a Valentine card from this era. In its minimalism, it becomes very powerful for me. It’s the suggestion of love, rather than a loud declaration of it. The restraint itself is revealing. Editor: Absolutely. The cultural context demands consideration here. We need to question who gets to declare love publicly, and how. Was Edith meant to publicly wear her emotions in this form, or did these expressions occupy the realm of private sentiments? And, if this was supposed to be shared and seen, what type of access did women have to display and show emotion and/or access to romantic possibilities? The limitations around women and romantic possibility is quite compelling to consider here. Curator: I wonder what Edith herself would think of our speculations! Editor: Ah, that’s the eternal question with historical artifacts. Still, hopefully it can continue to facilitate discourse! Curator: It certainly gives pause to the imagination. Even in this humble format, so much emotion gets processed when thinking about the recipient’s romantic agency and accessibility. It also is compelling to consider the artist, in terms of authorship and intention here too. Editor: Precisely!