I purchased this lovely valentine at a local country auction years ago, and could not believe my luck! Although it was once pasted to a homemade scrapbook and the wallpaper is still glued to its back, the front is unmarred so it retains its original beauty.

Joseph Mansell, a manufacturer of English valentines as early as 1835, was known for his beautiful laces. In the 1840’s his embossing was so perfect that the work resembled cameos in miniature. The lace on this valentine is one I had not seen before and its selective gilding and gold striped borders had me believing it had a mystery maker until I discovered the subtle Mansell embossing on a gold line on the lower right side.

The valentine folder measures 4 ¾” x 7 ½”. The front features a silk heart embellished with silver Dresden lovebirds overhead, a silver Dresden faithful dog surrounded by a wreath of tiny hand cut paper leaves and flowers in the middle, and silver Dresden leaves surrounded by hand cut and painted paper tulips underneath. Inside, there is a pencilled message:

Accept this/Sanctioned by the day:
And let it whisper/What I would say
Dan’l Jerome Warner Boston, Mass

On the back bottom left corner, a tiny 50 is written in red ink.

The front of this valentine folder is in very good condition with some pale toning to the silk that looks darker in the enlarged photo than it does on the valentine itself, and a tiny spot of oxidation on the paper at the edge the heart. Inside the folder, the paper has toned a bit and looks somewhat crumpled. The outside back, as noted, has wallpaper residue still pasted to it. Please examine the photos and feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

While you are here, do enjoy the other valentines I have available. Thank you for visiting my shop today.