Vintage Valentine's Day Greeting Card, Die-Cut Heart, Edwardian Era

The two pointy-hatted elves wear cheerful expressions that suggest they have definitely made a binding magical contract with you, reaching toward each other across a red heart while a sepia-toned circle of children reads a book in the middle, as if the fairies are gatekeeping literacy itself. The male elf, decked out in blue and green harlequin-style separates, and the female in a star-spangled pink dress both beam with the confidence of people who know their smiles are legally binding. The banner ribbon helpfully explains that 'Elves and fairies will dance with glee, If you My Valentine will be'—so to be clear, your acceptance of this valentine is legally binding and will summon dancing creatures. Flowers, bows, and the scalloped red border frame this delightful coercion, addressed simply 'To One I Love,' which is the kind of confidence that borders on restraining order energy.