Valentine's Day — Bunk History

A woman turns down a dapper ‘snake’ in a ‘vinegar valentine’ from the 1870s.

Return to the 19th-Century Custom of the Spicy ‘Vinegar Valentine’

Victorians found a way to anonymously tell people they didn’t like exactly how they felt.

by Beth Daley via The Conversation on February 9, 2026

The Heart of the Matter: A History of Valentine Cards

A digital exhibit from the collections of the Strong National Museum of Play.

by Strong National Museum Of Play via Google Arts and Culture on April 11, 2018

Touching Sentiment: The Tactility of Nineteenth-Century Valentines

Sentimental or “fancy” valentines, as they were called, were harbingers of hope, fondness, and desire.

by Christina Michelon via Commonplace on December 1, 2016

Entry in Theodore Roosevelt's diary with an "X" from the day his wife died.

Theodore Roosevelt & Valentine’s Day

How Theodore's Roosevelt's personal tragedies inspired him to reform America's cities.

by Heather Cox Richardson via We're History on February 14, 2016

Alice Morgan Wright with unknown friend, sitting on a tree stump.

Reconstructing the Queer History of the Women’s Suffrage Movement

Rouse reveals the hidden queer histories of suffragists like Alice Morgan Wright, who balanced activism with private, erased relationships.

by Wendy L. Rouse via Gay And Lesbian Review on September 20, 2024

brought to you by

© Bunk History