Esther Howland Valentine card, "Affection" ca. 1870s
Edited from a New England Historical Society report:
“Worcester once reigned as the Valentine Capital of the United States. Esther Howland, born in Worcester in 1828, went into the Valentine business in her home town after graduating from Mount Holyoke College. It grew into the world’s largest greeting-card enterprise, until World War II caused paper shortages that put an end to the business. Her company was called the New England Valentine Co.’’
