ORIGINAL PUBLICATION DATE: FRIDAY FEBRUARY 12, 2010

Die Cut Valentines Of The 1920's And 1930's

by Barbara Johnson, Ph.D.

The die cut valentine cards of the 1920's-1930's represent some of the most charming and heartwarming of all valentines prized by collectors. After World War I, valentine exchanges were popularly practiced between children, although adults still continued exchanging mature and sedate Art Deco themed cards. Since the valentine sending public was overwhelmingly juvenile, card makers increased their varieties of youthful and fanciful subjects that would appeal to school children. The majority of die cut valentine cards of this period targeted the young. Valentine makers created cards with subjects about children, comic book characters, exotic and domestic animals and pets. The die cuts differ from contemporary mechanical valentine counterparts in that their designs do not depend on the poses of the subject's motion activity. This makes the die cut subjects more diverse and interesting.

Collectors must find the best reference materials available to properly date and identify their valentines. Identifying die cut valentines from the early to mid twentieth century can be challenging. The early die cuts of the 1900's-1910's show children easily recognizable in period hair, hats, and garments. The quaint language of the verses are reflective of the time period. Some of the best German chromolithograph die cuts feature details of cupids and children during this era. They appear again through the 1920's, after the Great War was over.

During World War I the newer American greeting card makers printed cards on flat paper with little or no gloss or shine. The Germans had been flooding the American market with richly-colored chromolithographed valentines for decades before World War I and then the decade following. This made it hard, no doubt, for American makers to compete with a superior and well-established German printing industry.

Still, the die cut cards continued on, despite American business protectionism during the period. Imports into the United States had to be clearly marked with the country of origin by the year 1930, due to a protective American tariff. This explains why it was, more than likely, that most but not all valentines before that date are marked, "Germany," or "Printed in Germany," while those after 1930 say "Made in Germany," or "Made in U.S.A." Many American and British firms would have their valentines printed in Germany, although they were of American or British design origin. There are sender or owner dated cards that are the exceptions to these generalizations.

The earliest die cut valentines would require a paper easel to be propped up on their own and be displayed. By the late 1930's onward, a small stand of sorts at the bottom of the valentine would prop up the card. These continued to be used on cards into the 1940's. The early die cuts were normally embossed chromolithographs. Non-German die cut cards of the 1910's typically had no embossing, while German cards continued to show lovely embossed features. The German-made die cuts after World War I were richly colored chromolithographs in deep jewel tones. As time marched on, the German cards of the mid-1920's to 1930's lacked embossing and had a shiny finish. There are some exceptions that pop up which feature embossing in the 1930's. Although 1930's valentines displayed various shades of primary colors, some were tri-colored and printed in red, black and white. New designs included pen and ink style illustrations or artist renditions of popular cartoon and comic book characters.

Valentine subjects can also help identify the date of your card. Careful study of the differences reveals that die cut valentines of the 1920's and 1930's were significantly different in topic compared to all other decades. Die cut 1920's and 1930's valentines allow us to intrude into the minds of the 1920's and 1930's child. While children of the 1900's and 1910's liked to identify with nostalgia and children on valentines dressed in eighteenth-century garb, children of the 1920's and 1930's overlooked olden times in favor of a new focus on their "best friends" and favorite activities. Children's 1920's - 1930's die cut valentines also featured children playing various sports, including golf and baseball, which were extremely popular with youth of those decades. Besides showing a fondness for domestic cats and dogs, childish humor was delighted with animals personified as people dressed in human clothing. Their sense of play and love of fun is important to the valentine maker as well as the sender. Other important depictions feature children in winter or summer outdoor activities. Some of the earliest German 1920's die cuts, like their fellow mechanical valentines, also featured exaggerated and even sometimes frightening-looking animals which appealed to a juvenile audience's sense of wonder and reflected their quirky sense of humor. Such subjects are a stark contrast to American 1920's and 1930's Art Deco valentines featuring comic flappers.

Die cuts of this period can be sentimental in nature, or silly. They can have fun themes that only a child would find amusing. These valentines express tones of warmth, and show affection which was expressed between school children of the times. The difficulties of the Great War and the Great Depression did not deter young children from enjoying and perpetuating the custom of card presentations. These are the last of the great chromolithographed valentines with bright colors and unusual themes. The fabric and substance of early 20th-century die cuts is one collectors of valentines should never miss.

Collecting die cut valentines spans across different time periods. This makes it fun to collect the remarkable themes of all valentine worlds. Romantic children and cupids bedecked with flowers were just as appealing to collectors as cute little boys and girls engaging in activities of daily concerns to them. Besides the adorable or splendid, one can appreciate the strangely compelling subjects and exaggerated features of 1920's German chromolithographed cards which featured exotic and everyday animals geared to impress. Whatever your taste for valentines, collectors will always be satisfied with the wide range of subjects and artistry that the 1920's and 1930's die cut valentines contribute to a valentine collection. The comic sensibilities, humorous tones, delightfully juvenile character and nostalgic touches make die cut valentines a delight for any valentine collector.

About the Author: Barbara Johnson, Ph.D. is a cultural historian of sixteenth-century Britain. She specializes in the material objects of Elizabethan and Jacobean aristocrats and their lives in their country homes. She is the author of Valentines, A Collector's Guide 1700s-1950s, by Collector Books, April, 2010 and Antique and Vintage Fashions, 1745-1979 by Collector Books, August, 2009. Books are available at www.collectorbooks.com, in bookstores and online.