Greetings Cards

There are over two thousand greetings cards in the Strangers’ Hall collections, ranging from the most delicate hand-made Victorian Valentines to mass-produced Christmas cards of the 1980s.



Click on the links to the left of the page to explore our collections.





Greetings Cards and the Penny Post

Before 1840, the cost of sending a letter varied depending on how far it was going and how many sheets of paper there were. People often wrote both ways across the paper to save money. Letters and cards were only delivered to houses in big towns, and the postage was paid by the person who received the letter. This made deliveries slow, as the postman had to knock on the door and collect money. Sometimes people wouldn’t or couldn’t pay.

In 1840 Rowland Hill introduced a new postal system, based on weight. People could now send a letter or card anywhere in the country for just one penny. The sender paid for the postage by buying a stamp and sticking it on the letter. This made it cheaper to send greetings cards, and the idea soon caught on and remained popular throughout Victorian times.

Comic Valentines

Strangers' Hall has a very large collection of insulting 'black' Valentines which were designed to be sent anonymously to unpopular neighbours or work-mates. Click on the links to the left of the page to learn more about them.

Comic Valentines were produced cheaply, and were aimed at people working in sorts of different trades. The Valentine shown above on the left is addressed 'To a Dressmaker', and has the following verse :-

Hard work and white satin have reddened your nose
And often while drudging you fall in a doze
Your charges are high, and your ways very tricky
And the dresses you make are most awfully dicky!;

The Valentine shown above on the right is aimed at a gardener, and has the following verse :-

Gay gardener, plant what you may
Time, celery or sage
That face of yours will make no way
A sweetheart to engage
Your cucumbers may all be fine
Your flowers all beautiful
Yet I'll not choose a Valentine
With your thick pumpkin skull.

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