In the mid-nineteenth century, valentine cards were bought and sent by the million. They were available in hundreds of different designs to cover a vast array of emotions. How about a valentine for your enemy? Your hated boss? Your annoying neighbour? Your despised ex? Victorian valentines included them all.
This talk showcases the vicious and sometimes violent Victorian examples that were sold and sent in Brighton and beyond.
Annebella Pollen is Professor of Visual and Material Culture at University of Brighton, where she researches the lives and afterlives of images and objects. She is the author of five books on art, history and photography.
Image Courtesy of Royal Pavilion and Museums, Brighton and Hove. Book here
