Victorian Valentine Card - Jack Horner & Polly Love Note 1890s
Text on Card
Said little Jack Horner, From out his snug corner, Please put on the kettle for tea, I love you, dear Polly, For you are so jolly, Do tell me my sweetheart you'll be. To my Valentine
Description
A decorative red border frame anchors this charming Victorian-era valentine, showcasing two children seated together in an intimate scene. Jack Horner and Polly share a tender moment as they sit on stools, with a teapot nearby, captured in this delightful chromolithographed greeting card. The romantic verse invites Jack from his corner with promises of tea and declarations of affection, creating a sweet narrative of childhood courtship that was popular during the Victorian period. The card features beautifully detailed hand-colored illustrations with period costume details—Jack in cream trousers and white shirt with a pink/red bow, Polly in a striking blue dress with matching blue bow and auburn hair. Ornate initial letters add to the card's elegant presentation. This piece exemplifies the sentimental aesthetic and nostalgic nursery rhyme references that defined late 19th-century valentine cards for both children and adults.
Subjects
children, kettle, teapot, stools, Victorian clothing, romantic scene, plant
Printing Notes
Hand-colored chromolithograph with embossed decorative border. Ornate illuminated initial letters on left margin.
