These images are provided for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons License (BY-NC-ND). To license a high resolution version, please contact our image library who will discuss fees, terms and waivers.
Download this imageCreative commons explained - what it means, how you can use our's and other people's content.
Valentine card
Publisher: Dobbs, Henry
A large 8vo-size valentine of cream wove paper with an embossed border of leaves and corners featuring putti playing musical instruments or playing with Cupid's bow and with hand-painted edge in pink. The banners below each scene are painted in gold leaf. A central embossed vignette of trees with Cupid, doves and shrine with flaming hearts and Hymen's flaming torch and a handwritten verse in black ink: 'When far away you distant / be [sic] pray look on this / and think of me'. Areas of the embossed designs are hand-painted with gold leaf and a border of hand-drawn leaves in gold with hand-painted red bows surrounds the central embossed scene. A motto is drawn in gold ink below: 'Constancy'. At upper and lower centre are hand-painted designs of red and bllue flowers and leaves with gold detail. Hand-drawn emblems of crossed arrows and hearts are found at upper left and right and lower centre. 'DOBBS' is stamped at lower centre. Inside is another handwritten verse: 'By words I cannot my love / discribe [sic] / Therefore I leave my / actions to express that love / Dear Hester'. The name and address, postmarks and sealing wax are found on the verso. The valentine has been folded several times for delivery: 'Hester Miles / 35 Bucklersbury / Cheapside / City [London]'. The postmark stamped in red ink seems to indicate a date of February 1830. P.14392-R is another valentine of a similar style by Henry Dobbs which is addressed to the same recipient (although apparently to 'Esther' Miles) and postmarked 1829.
Bequeathed by Dr J. W. L. Glaisher, 1928
Method of acquisition: Bequeathed (1928) by Glaisher, J. W. L., Dr
19th Century
Production date:
AD 1830
Accession number: P.14428-R
Primary reference Number: 215465
Stable URI
Owner or interested party:
The Fitzwilliam Museum
Associated department:
Paintings, Drawings and Prints
This record can be cited in the Harvard Bibliographic style using the text below:
The Fitzwilliam Museum (2024) "Valentine card" Web page available at: https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/215465 Accessed: 2024-11-22 22:20:57
To cite this record on Wikipedia you can use this code snippet:
{{cite web|url=https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/215465
|title=Valentine card
|author=The Fitzwilliam Museum|accessdate=2024-11-22 22:20:57|publisher=The
University of Cambridge}}
To call these data via our API (remember this needs to be authenticated) you can use this code snippet:
https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/api/v1/objects/object-215465
To use this as a simple code embed, copy this string:
<div class="text-center"> <figure class="figure"> <img src="https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/imagestore/pdp/pdp77/P_14428_R_1_201611_amt49_dc2.jpg" alt="Valentine card" class="img-fluid" /> <figcaption class="figure-caption text-info">Valentine card</figcaption> </figure> </div>
Updates about future exhibitions and displays, family activities, virtual events & news. You'll be the first to know...