Vintage Valentines and Genealogy are available in today’s post. Courtesy of the Newberry Library, you can send a vintage Valentine to a genealogy friend. Or send one to that partner/spouse who waits dinner patiently while you say, “Just ten more minutes!,” tramps cemeteries, and lugs laptops and projectors for you.

The First Valentine

A love letter from 1477 at the British Museum contains the first known use of the word Valentine. In this 500+-year-old love letter, 17-year-old Margery Brews pleads with her betrothed, John Paston, to continue their engagement. Obstacles to the marriage arose because Margery’s parents had refused to increase her dowry. Addressing her “ryght welebeloued Voluntyne” (right well-beloved Valentine), she promised to be a good wife, adding: “Yf that ye loffe me as I tryste verely that ye do ye will not leffe me” (If that you love me as I [love you], verily I trust that you will not leave me).

Vintage Valentines and Genealogy

The Newberry Library, if you’re not familiar with it, is an amazing library in Chicago specializing in the humanities and genealogy. I’ve written about their Curt Teich Postcard Archives, containing nearly half a million vintage postcards. And they’ve been collecting genealogy books and materials since 1887. Like every great genealogy library, they are digitizing like mad, so do visit their collections.

Send a Vintage Valentine

Click the image below to send your vintage Valentine courtesy of the Newberry Library. And that’s it for today’s post on vintage Valentines and genealogy.

Vintage Valentines and Genealogy