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Community Corner

Victorian Valentines in a Victorian Home

The Westfield Historical

Society will be hosting a special exhibit of Victorian Valentines the first two

weekends in February at the Reeve History and Cultural Resource Center located

at 314 Mountain Avenue in Westfield, New Jersey.



The Valentines and postcard
exhibit was loaned from a larger collection by Jean Groszmann, who has been
collecting them for over four decades. The collection spans the period
beginning in 1840 through the 1920's and includes German, English and American produced
valentines including penny post cards.


The majority of early
Victorian valentines were customarily made by hand from honeycombed tissue, watercolors, paper puffs, embossed paper hearts and exquisite lace.  These truly beautiful small works of art
harken back the days of old when Valentines expressed sentiments of adoration
through hand crafted excellence.


The exhibit will be open from
1PM to 5 PM on Saturday, February 1 and 8 and on

Sunday, February 2 and 9.

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In addition to the display,
there will be a valentine workshop on the history of Victorian valentines hosted by the Union County 4-H Living History Club at the Reeve History &
Cultural Resource Center for children
ages 6-12 on Saturday

February 8 from 10AM- Noon. An adult must accompany each child registered for

the workshop.  Each attendant will make a
valentine to take home. The cost is $3 to cover supplies.


Registration is limited so
please call soon to reserve your spot. To register please call the Historical
Society office at 908-654-1794 or send an email to info@westfieldhistoricalsociety.org




The Westfield Historical
Society is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to preserve and encourage interest
in history, Westfield and its residents through educational efforts and
community outreach.

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