The Sailor's Valentine

Happy Valentine's Day!

Before there was Hallmark, you might have received a "sailor's valentine" from your darling 19th-century seafarer across the ocean. 

Traditional sailor's valentines are keepsakes typically made of octagonal boxes, usually constructed of mahogany or cedrella (Spanish cedar), hinged together in pairs which open to reveal elaborate mosaics made of colorful shells covered by glass. T

he patterns often featured a heart or compass rose design, and included a sentimental message such as "Remember Me" or "Home Again." 

The romantic myth behind these tokens of affection is that sailors constructed the "valentines" for their sweethearts to pass idle hours at sea. This may be a possibility for their origin, however, the vast majority were actually produced as part of the souvenir trade on Barbados and other Caribbean islands, mainly between 1830 and 1890. Barbados was a port of call for American and English ships, and the sailors would purchase the valentines as tokens of love to bring back to their wives, mothers, and sisters. According to Sailors' Valentines, by John Fondas, the primary source for these souvenirs was the New Curiosity Shop, located in McGregor Street, Bridgetown, Barbados, owned by the English brothers B.H. and George Belgrave.

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