Feature February 2013

Valentine Cards

Saint Valentine's day had been celebrated by the giving of presents or tokens long before George Baxter was born.

Joseph Mansell obtained a license to use the Baxter Process around 1850 and it was not long before he combined his Baxter Process prints with his embossed fancy Valentine cards.

A valentine Card by Joseph Mansell including one of his Baxter Process Prints

It is not just the cards produced by Mansell that can be found. Many other individuals used the prints of George Baxter and his licensees on similar Valentines.

Joseph Mansell also earned a considerable reputation for his chromolithographic productions for which he is best known. Not surprisingly, his repertoire of chromolithographic cards included many Valentines.

A Chromolithographic Valentine by Joseph Mansell

The Baxter prints used on Valentines were usually the smaller ones, which were also often used on needle-boxes and Reward Cards.