From Postcards to Pixels, American Greetings Celebrates 100 Years of Valentines

CLEVELAND, Feb. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- Exchanging valentines is part of the fabric of American life, a tradition that has endured through wars, the Great Depression, prosperity and the technology revolution. Throughout its 100-year history, American Greetings has created valentines that reflect the changing lives of Americans.

Here's a look at the history of valentines and how they have evolved through the years to reflect social trends:

1900s - 1920s: Valentines in the first years of the twentieth century were elaborate, intricate designs carried over from the Victorian era. The American public's preferences underwent a transition in 1903 when postcards imported from Germany flooded the market. In these years, before the telephone, Americans embraced postcards as an easy, inexpensive way to stay in touch with family and friends.

Joseph Sapirstein, a young Polish immigrant, specialized in selling imported penny postcards from a horse drawn wagon to drug stores, novelty shops and confectioners in Cleveland, Ohio, establishing the company that eventually would become American Greetings. Among his most popular wares were colorful, valentine postcards with simple messages -- "To the One I Love" or "Be Mine" and rhymed verses. Designs often had a European influence, reflecting the wave of immigrants coming to America.

1930s: As the nation reeled from the effects of the Great Depression, Americans embraced the romance of Valentine's Day as an escape from the realities of hard times. In this decade, The Sapirstein Greeting Card Company (forerunner to what would eventually become American Greetings) produced some of the earliest folded valentines, featuring hearts and flowers and romantic sentiments. Humorous valentines helped Americans laugh at their hardships, and valentines surged in popularity as a replacement for more expensive gifts like flowers and candy.

1940s: World War II dominated this era, and hundreds of thousands of valentines were sent to sweethearts fighting the war. Sapirstein's company, now known as American Greetings Publishers, created valentines that combined romance and patriotism, often depicting Uncle Sam, GIs, sailors, WACS and WAVES. On the home front, cutout and stand-up valentines with elements that moved using a metal grommet and paper tab device were all the rage -- the 1940s version of high-tech.

1950s: During the post-war period of peace and prosperity, Americans embraced the celebration of Valentine's Day. Valentines were often elaborate, with ribbons and crystal embellishments, and illustrations featured hearts, flowers and people or animal characters sporting the fashions of the day. Some were slightly risque: "I like to do the proper thing, observe the old traditions. But, gee, whenever you're with me, the heck with inhibitions!" American Greetings introduced dozens of designs for friends, teachers and relatives, expanding Valentine's Day beyond romance and into everyday relationships. The company's Hi-Brows cards -- tall, slim cards with comic punch lines and cartoon style artwork -- gained instant popularity with the nonconformists of the decade.

1960s: The Space Age captured the imagination of the entire country, and American Greetings created valentines that merged hearts and romance with rockets, astronauts and planets. Elaborate, sentimental valentines were still popular, but the generation coming of age also scooped up humorous valentines that were a quirky departure from the traditional. The offbeat humor of Hi- Brows cards captured the attention of a new generation.

1970s: Bright, neon colors and "mod" designs overflowed from fashion and home decorating into valentines. The young and hip gravitated to brightly colored, oversized valentines with free-form artwork, and funny Hi-Brows valentines were best sellers. Humorous valentines of all types, often with slightly risque messages, surged in popularity, the trend fueled by outrageous TV shows like "Laugh-In." American Greetings created elaborate valentines to send to children, featuring bright colors and activities such as cutouts, stand-up figures and puzzles. Licensing took off during the '70s, and valentines featuring favorite American Greetings characters like Holly Hobbie were an instant success. The return to the era of romance in fashion was expressed in sentimental valentines with romantic verses and soft focus photography.

1980s: This was also the heyday of pop psychology and "I'm Okay, You're Okay," reflected in valentines that featured short messages written in conversational style. Large format cards with flowery messages for men to send to their wives and sweethearts were popular as American men learned how to get in touch with their feelings. American Greetings embraced the beginning of the high-tech revolution with laser cuts, holographic images and bold graphics, and introduced new licensed characters, including Care Bears and Strawberry Shortcake.

1990s: Cards that reflected the natural, handmade look popularized by the scrap booking trend made their debut, and the video age inspired juvenile valentines featuring kids' favorite cartoon characters. With high-tech communications becoming a way of life, AmericanGreetings.com, American Greetings electronic greetings subsidiary, sent thousands of Valentine's Day messages through cyberspace for the first time.

2006: Valentine's Day has expanded beyond the traditional focus on couples and romance into a day for expressing love, care and appreciation for a variety of people, a concept first introduced by American Greetings during the 1950s. This year, American Greetings offers more than 2,300 valentine designs for spouses and sweethearts, children, extended family, friends and other special people. Paper cards, an enduring tradition for Valentine's Day, are still going strong, and this year an estimated 190 million Valentine's Day cards will be sent. In addition, the five American Greetings electronic greetings sites, now a part of AG Interactive, offer hundreds of designs, and some 10 million electronic valentines will be sent this year.

A century has passed since Jacob Sapirstein delivered his wares by horse drawn cart, but some things never change. Whether the medium is postcards or pixels, Valentine's Day is still the day to say, "I love you."

About American Greetings Corporation

American Greetings Corporation , celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, is one of the world's largest manufacturers of social expression products. Along with greeting cards, its product lines include gift wrap, party goods, candles, stationery, calendars, educational products, ornaments and electronic greetings. American Greetings is also the creator and owner of many celebrated character properties, including Strawberry Shortcake and Care Bears. Located in Cleveland, Ohio, American Greetings generates annual net sales of approximately $2 billion. For more information on the Corporation, visit http://corporate.americangreetings.com/.

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