Historic valentines displayed on Lilly Web exhibit

For Lilly Library public services librarian Erika Dowell, valentines are more than pieces of sentimental commercialism forgotten a week from today. They're history.\nDowell designed and wrote "A Flowering of Affection: Victorian Valentine Cards at the Lilly Library," an online exhibit of 19th-century valentines. The library has about 200 Victorian cards available for viewing. \nAccording to the Web exhibit, early valentines were homemade cards given to sweethearts in England and North America in the 1700s. \nBy the 1800s, commercial cards took over. Valentines were lace, beads and fabric covered cards made of folded and sealed decorative paper. By the end of the 19th century, advances in paper printing popularized pictorial cards.\nThe Web site offers additional background on styles and traditions of 19th-century valentines, as well as pictures of different styles. The collection also shows that Victorian valentines were not all flowers and lace. Some were humorous. \nFor girls hoping to get rid of an admirer, the exhibit offers possibly the perfect rejection letter. The not-so-sweet section features a card displaying a girl greeting a suitor with a bucket of cold water. The card reads, "Here's a pretty cool reception ... At least you'll say there's no deception ... It says as plain as it can say, 'Old fellow, you'd best stop away.' "\nThe online exhibit first appeared in February 2001. It was expanded for Valentine's Day 2002.\n"Another librarian had come to me with an idea for sending electronic postcards, and we thought it would be fun to highlight some of our Victorian greeting cards that were valentines," Dowell said.\nReference librarian Jian Liu helped set up the exhibit's e-valentines portion, which allows people to send electronic versions of the exhibit's cards with personal messages.\n"As of (Tuesday) morning we had 250 valentines sent for the month of February," Dowell said. "And I'm sure we've had a number more (Wednesday) and through the weekend for those a little behind on their card sending."\nWhile Internet surfers sent aristocratic mementos through the Lilly Library to companions and friends, customers stocked up this week on serious, comedic and thoughtful valentines. \nAt Greetings on Kirkwood Avenue, cards can be found for just about anyone -- boss, sister, friend, lover, crush, husband. \nSarah Sater, card buyer for the store, said no particular style of card sticks out as overly popular.\n"Some are sweet and some are humorous," Sater said. "If it were for a lover, you'd want something sweet. But if it's for a friend, then the silly ones are popular. Valentine's Day is our second biggest card-selling holiday after the Christmas-Hanukkah holiday"