
In the mid-nineteenth century, romantic cynics sent inexpensively-printed insult greetings on Valentine's Day, often labeled by profession and typically featuring a short riff on the classic four-line verse. Called Penny Dreadfuls (because they cost a penny) and sometimes referred to as "Vinegar Valentines," they were funny and mean — and because of this, were often sent anonymously.
Such gestures remind us, as others have said, that nothing says "I Love You" like a mass-produced sentiment written by somebody else: Herewith, our very own collection.























Comments [7]
02.14.11
01:31
02.14.11
10:12
http://www.meish.org/vd/card/youlldo
02.14.11
10:16
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penny_dreadful
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vinegar_valentines
02.15.11
04:38
"No discussion of valentine cards would be complete without mention of what was referred to as the “Penny Dreadfuls,” which first appeared in this country circa 1890. Unlike the typical sweet and romantic card, these were bitterly cutting valentines. Whatever peculiarity, trait or handicap someone had, or was impugned to have, was made fun of with these valentines. The homely man or woman, the spinster, the overweight individual, the flirt, or the dishonest butcher with a fat thumb, might well have received a Penny Dreadful on Valentine’s Day. Such cards were often delivered by some surreptitious manner to the unfortunate precipitants home. The McLoughlin Brothers, which eventually became a giant U.S. publishing company, was one of the most prolific publishers of these early paper novelties."
02.15.11
06:08
02.15.11
06:41
Kitsch they're not, because though I have received Vinegar Valentines (sometimes followed with an antidote) you know, they're still worth pennies and not rallying at auction. How about Dark Camp? A little under the Where Is Your God Now cross-stitch, or the Evangelion-not-end.ru gallery inveigled into an Outlook signature.
02.15.11
03:48