In 1895, a writer for The Strand was fairly certain that the ancient traditions of Valentine's Day were on the wane. Cards were no longer being manufactured in the quantities they once were, and it seemed that this holiday would soon be just another quaint memory of a half-forgotten tradition. This writer clearly reckoned without the power of the marketplace! As other articles below show, Valentine's Day was already well known long before Victorian times. The Victorian era, however, brought us the Valentine's Day card (as well as the postal system with which to mail it) - and the rest, as they say, is history!

February: Valentine Day, by Thomas Miller (Illustrated London Almanack, 1849)

February: St. Valentine's Day (Illustrated London Almanack, 1855)

Holly and Mistletoe (Demorest, 1870)

Did this miss the Christmas issue? No - it's actually about holly and mistletoe traditions associated with Valentine's Day!

Fashions in Valentines, by Alexander Wainwright (St. Nicholas, 1875)

Buying Valentines (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1877)

Choosing just the right Valentine card for one's sweetheart was no easier in 1877 than today!

Old Valentines, by Constance Cary Harrison (Century, 1883A)

A look back at some of the older (pre-Valentine's Day card) traditions of the season.

St. Valentine's Day, by Dora de Blaquière (Girl's Own Paper, 1880)

When this article was written, Valentines were still popular in Victorian Britain, but seemed to be tapering off.

Valentines, by Ardern Holt (Girl's Own Paper, 1882)

On some of the variations of Valentine customs to be found throughout Victorian Britain.

Vanishing Valentines, by William G. FitzGerald (The Strand, 1895A)

By 1895, this author was confident that Valentines would soon be a thing of the past! Their popularity, still strong in 1880, was on the wane - not least, the author believed, because bloomer-clad women who smoked "in their own clubs" did not perhaps lend themselves to romantic notions!