Young people in every generation think they were the first to discover love and romance when they get that first-time-all-is-right-with-the-world feeling.
As they mature, they realize that they weren’t the first. People have been loving and living for eons, and will continue to do so when we’re all gone. I’m always reminded that the act of loving is timeless when I see symbols of it on the auction table. They come in all forms, from letters to photos to figurines to images on pottery.
On this Valentine’s Day, I’ve assembled some items that show how people have demonstrated their love over time.
Love letters
Decades ago, writing a letter was the natural way to keep in touch, and a love letter to your sweetie was among them. At auction last year, I came upon a trove of ephemera from a woman who knew the value of saving her history – although someone in the family apparently found it necessary to discard most of it. Among her papers were letters dated 1919 and 1920 from a man who appeared to be her boyfriend. They were both from Richmond, VA, and he had gone to Newport News, VA, to work in the shipyards, leaving her behind. These letters were far from sentimental; their relationship seemed a little shaky.
My local newspaper published a story of a woman who self-published her parents’ love letters written from 1934 to 1938. As part of the Mural Arts Program in Philadelphia, an artist painted a “Love Letter” on the roofs of 50 buildings along a trolley route in the city. One guy even put together a book of other people’s love letters.
Valentine greetings
Tucked in a box of cards I bought once were some Valentine cards and a Western Union greetings telegram. One of the cards had black cats on it, which seemed odd, and the others had children, which seemed to be pretty commonplace. The most intriguing was the telegram, which was apparently popular in the 1930s. People paid 35 cents for their own words or 25 cents for a choice of messages offered by Western Union. In the 1960s, it was the Candygram, which allowed you to send chocolates (sold by the company) along with the sweetheart telegram.
This antiques and crafts dealers offered some suggestions for adding some historical texture to your Valentine gift: remove chocolates from the box and put them in a vintage candy dish, spell out a love note in old Scrabble or typewriter keys, fill a vintage teacup with your sweetie’s favorite tea or coffee, give vintage jewelry.
Wedding photos
The joy and promise in the faces of women in white lace and men in black tuxedos show through brilliantly in wedding photos regardless of the time. The photos are among the ultimate expressions of love, yet, they are tossed onto the auction tables like confetti. It seems that no one wants anyone else’s old wedding photos – unless you’re a collector who specializes in vintage wedding photos.
A love-struck doll
This cute stuffed doll is a charmer. He is made of wool, has a Valentine in his right hand and what looked like red-lipstick kisses on his face and crazily disarrayed pupils in his eyes. When I searched Google for any others like him, it returned with links to sex dolls and inflatable dolls. This little handmade man is bedazzled by real love, and he has the face to prove it.
Porgy and Bess
This is a love story with most of the loving on Porgy’s side. I bought the album for this theatrical opera a year or two ago and saw the re-conditioned musical a month ago. Two of its most famous tunes have the main characters professing their love: “I Love You, Porgy” and “Bess, You Is My Woman.”
Popeye and Olive Oyl Viewmaster reel
Viewmaster viewers and reels must have been as common as Kodak cameras at one time because they are ubiquitous at auction. This 1962 set is called “Popeye the Sailor Man,” and we all know the cartoon story of Popeye wooing Olive Oyl. In the first of three reels in the set, Popeye and Brutus compete for the love of Olive Oyl, who concocts a way to settle the dispute – and get her house painted.
Heart-shaped pin cushion and jewelry box
I bought the lovely silver-plated pin cushion last year at an auction house I was visiting for the first time. I love sewing items, and this pin cushion appealed to me because of its heart shape. At another auction some months later, I came across the jewelry box and figured they’d make a great pair. They may not represent the human notion of love, but the heart image makes you feel warm and cuddly.
