The Recipient of a Comic Valentine

The Recipient of a Comic Valentine

This illustration accompanies an article describing St. Valentine’s day. The image is of an upset man, looking as if he has been the victim of a cheap trick. The caption of the image is “The recipient of the comic valentine”. The article describes how it is a tradition in the city to exchange romantic as well as comic letters to celebrate St. Valentine’s.. This image provides a window into the life of New Yorkers in the 1850s, and that the tradition of exchanging notes on St. Valentine’s day took place then as it does now. This article was meant to give non-New Yorkers a view into the city's St. Valentine's day traditions, as well as anyone else who may not be familiar with them. The image does not have a listed illustrator, but it seems to be the same illustrator as the majority of the images in the magazine.. This image relates to Henry James’ Washington Square, as Mrs. Penniman exchanges letters with Morris, and also these valentines relate to courting traditions and practices of the time, even though this edition was published sometime after that novel takes place.

Harper's Weekly, Illustrator Unknown

Harper's Weekly, A Journal of Civilization 13 February 1858.Print, pg. 103,

February 13, 1858

Illustration