A historical look at Valentines

Art & Culture, Indoor

Looking through his collection of antique postcards, George Johnson plays part detective, part historian and part storyteller. After all, each postcard has a story to tell, but it often takes a little bit of detective work and historical research to complete the full story.

Although a virtual exhibition does not offer the opportunity to see these Valentines in person, Johnson says it offers visitors the chance to see the notes in more detail. “If you would have come last year, you may have seen the valentines, but not seen all that it offers,” he said. “The vast majority are at least over 100 years old, so they’re fragile, and I can’t open and close them a hundred times during an exhibition.” 

This year’s online exhibition, however, will offer photos and video, which can show individuals viewing the exhibition all aspects of the valentines without opening them repeatedly.

“So that’s a major advantage of a virtual tour,” he said. “It’s also a way to make a historical record of these 200-year-old Valentines.”