The Newberry Library (Venue Partner)
60 W Walton St
312.943.9090
This event has passed.
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Love's Messenger: Victorian Valentines
- When
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Wednesday Feb 6, 2008 (6:15pm)
- Where
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Directions: The Newberry Library is located at 60 West Walton Street, Chicago, IL, directly across from Chicago’s famed Washington Square Park and just a few blocks west of Michigan Avenue.
- Price
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$9
- Links
Note:
Register online.
When it comes to professing love — true love — the Victorians had it down to a perfectly romantic science. In a time before sickly sentimental Hallmark cards, heart-clutching teddy bears, and red silk lingerie (apparently, nothing says "I love you" like a Cupid-embossed thong), starry-eyed lovers expressed their adoration with valentines that were ornately decorated with lace, ribbons, and even locks of hair. Tonight, scholar Debra N. Mancoff, author of Love's Messenger: Tokens of Affection in the Victorian Age, discusses the history and heart-felt symbolism of the Victorian era — and perhaps a few alternatives to the thoughtless clichés of Valentine's Day. Your beloved deserves better.
