Lot of 27 Victorian VALENTINE Cards Includes Whitney-Made Die-cut Lace Stand Up

Description

Lot of 27 Victorian VALENTINE Cards Includes Whitney-Made Die-cut Lace Stand Up
These beautiful cards are mostly from the turn of the century C. 1900. Many were created by the Whitney Valentine Company of Worcester, Mass.
The story of "Whitney Made" Valentines is actually quite interesting. George Whitney, born in 1942 was the youngest of three brothers. His parents died when George was a young age and was essentially raised by one of his older brothers.
He enlisted in the 51st Regiment of the Union Army when he was only 19 and served in North Carolina in the Provost Marshall's Office.
Following the Civil War, he and his brother Sumner (who owned a stationary store) went into business making valentines, some of which were hand-crafted. The war had taken a toll on many lives and beautifully-created valentines were seen as a way of providing a sense of calmness and normalcy to people's lives.
After Sumner died, George became the sole owner of what was then called the Whitney Valentine Company. He was quite the businessman and bought out most of his current competitors, including well known Esther Howling. Consequently, his business was grew and the name changed to the George C. Whitney Company. In fact, by the year 1915 about 90% of the valentines on the market were produced in the small town of Worcester, Mass by George's Company.
In 1915 George passed away and his son and grandson took over what was still a thriving company. But, as with all things, times change. This time it took the form of another World War (WWII). Due to a major paper shortage the company struggled to survive and in the year 1942 they had to sell all their assets.
The newspaper, The Telegram and Gazette perhaps said it best:
Today in 1942, [March 1] a tear drop touched all valentines. The George C. Whitney Co., 67 Union Street, the largest and oldest manufacturer of valentines in the world, announced it would voluntarily liquidate its business.
Many of the cards in this lot are marked "Whitney Made, Worcester, Mass." You can own a little piece of that history with these cards. Some are surrounded with lace, others are mechanical such as the doll-looking girl whose eyes you can make open or closed. Others you can pull out to stand up in a 3-dimensional fashion.
Condition: These cards are in decent condition.  Some show have age-related wear, which is to be expected from items of this age.  Most have some writing on the backs. There may be slight edge wear, smudges and/or discoloration on the backs.
Please see the images of the actual item above for a better idea of the condition.
This item is in stock and ready for shipping. I package each card securely in a sturdy cardstock envelope for safe shipping.
Please see my store for more cards and lots of other items.