Messages of love from yesteryear are gracing the LaPorte County Historical Society Museum.
A large collection of vintage valentines are on display through February at the LaPorte site that celebrates local history and antiques.
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Museum curator Susie Richter said the museum has hundreds of amorous greetings — some of them more than 100 years old.
They include paper-lace cutouts with romantic words and stand-up cards that boast a 3-D effect. The cards offer warm, flowery emotions, using words such as thee and thou to woo and soothe.
“The greetings on them are so different than today,” Richter said.
One card — that Richter believes dates back to the 1920s or ’30s — has a Shakespearean tone: “If thou wilt be my valentine, I will promise to be thine.”
Another piece of memorabilia has a rhythmic lilt: “Dear little Valentine, speed on your way; Carry a message for me today.”
Hallmark — the greeting card giant — offered its first Valentine’s Day cards in 1913, and began producing them in 1916.
Hallmark credits Esther Howland of Worcester, Mass., with publishing the first American valentine in 1849.
As promotional material from the LaPorte museum puts it, “many colorful, nostalgic images grace these long-ago works of art” that are available for viewing in the period rooms. The museum also offers other heart-themed mementos from decades ago in celebration of Valentine’s Day on Sunday.
“We do have a few old candy boxes,” Richter, a LaPorte resident, said.
Valentines intended for a certain profession are likewise represented at the museum.
“We have a lot of teacher valentines,” Richter noted.
In a slightly different vein, the LaPorte County Historical Society has been collecting stories of “The Great Loves of LaPorte County.”
The historical society is inviting those people with a LaPorte County love story to come to the museum and fill out a form.
Richter said the heartfelt remembrances and reflections are basically being collected for archival purposes, but some may be shared at historical society programs.
Bob Kostanczuk is a freelance writer.
Vintage valentines
Where: LaPorte County Historical Society Museum, 2405 Indiana Ave., LaPorte
When: Through February; 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Tues.-Sat.
Admission: Adults $5; senior citizens over 60 $4; free for those 18 and younger; group rate for more than 10 people is $3 each
Information: 219-324-6767, www.laportecountyhistory.org
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