2/14/2024 | Angela Whitlock, CSRA and Jessica Smith, Collections Coordinator

The commercial success of valentines in the United States began with Esther Howland, daughter of a stationer and book publisher, and one of the earliest female college graduates in America.  

Esther was inspired after receiving an English valentine from one of her father’s business associates and began experimenting with papers, lace, and trimmings to create her own cards. 

She had a brief partnership with Edward Taft. Together, they formed the New England Valentine Company in 1879. The partnership only lasted a year, when George C. Whitney then bought the company and renamed it the Whitney Valentine Company. 

An interesting connection between Esther Howland and Ruth Thomas Weinard is that they both valued education. Today, the Ruth Weinard Charitable Trust funds scholarships for Mahomet-Seymour High graduating seniors’ education-related expenses.  

What is the most memorable valentine you have received? 

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Sources: Worcesterhistory.org, Worcesterhistorica.com, and Mahomet-Seymour Education Foundation (online).