Esther Howland (1828-1904) is known as the Mother of the American Valentine. After graduating Mount Holyoke at age 19, she received an ornate English Valentine from a business associate of her father. She was convinced that she could create the same and market them in the United States. Though she was only expecting $200 in pre-orders, she was surprised to receive $5000 dollars. She utilized the assembly line method to mass produce valentines day cards for the public. Mount Holyoke College, a liberal arts college in South Hadley, Massachusetts, is the oldest womens college in the United States, and the oldest continuing institution of womens higher education in the world. ...
Her work revolutionized how we celebrate valentines day.
In the United States, the first mass-produced valentines of embossed paper lace were produced and sold shortly after 1847 by Esther A. Howland (1828 - 1904) of Worcester, Massachusetts.
Her father operated a large book and stationery store, and she took her inspiration from an English valentine she had received.
(Since 2001, the Greeting Card Association has been giving an annual "EstherHowland Award for a Greeting Card Visionary".)
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