On a recent trip to Texas to visit my parents, I had the privilege of helping sort through an old trunk that belonged to my great aunt, Florence M. Davis Youngblood. Aunt Floe was born in 1904, and some of the antique Valentines and ephemera I found in the trunk belonged to her grandmother. That makes them reeally old!
Aren’t they fancy?
Just look at the beautiful embossed invitation to the St. Valentine’s Day party. Gorgeous! And the lovely couple is actually a dance card with names on the back. 🥰
The trunk contained several Victorian calling cards. Here are a couple I especially like. I also LOVE the embossed treasure on the right! It appears to be a tiny box lid (approx. 2.5″ x 1″ x .25″), and there’s very faint pencil writing on the inside. I turned it black and white and tried to intensify it a bit to make it easier to read, but there’s still one word I can’t make out.
Presented to Lovina W. Tarble
by Amy Sessions
La______ 1859
Lovina Tarble was born in 1839, so she was about 20 when she received this sweet gift. I wonder what was in the box! I also wonder: What IS that last word before 1859 on this 163-year-old beauty?
In observance of the season, I placed these Valentines along with other dance invitations + a more “modern” one that belonged to Aunt Floe, under my glass-top table in the living room. Not long ago it held vintage Christmas cards.
Then, since I was in the mood, I put a few Springtime-colored vintage hankies in a cherub bowl, set it on the dining room mantel, and embellished it with my great-grandmother’s pretty pink necklace.
And then I set the table with a little nod to romance.
The dessert plates were a recent find. Don’t miss the delicate musical instruments!
It’s still Winter, so I used unexpected “heavy” tapestry placemats instead of white linen or lace.
Bottom plate: Johnson Brothers Old Britain Castles Pink; middle plate: Theodore Haviland Schleiger 339-22; top plate: Haviland & Co. H2635; flatware: Mikasa Italian Countryside If you love dishes, don’t miss my identification tip at the end of this post!
Finally, I took a few minutes to bring a little love into the kitchen.
Our favorite auctioneers are retiring soon and selling off much of their personal collection. This vintage metal sign hung for years in the concession area at their auction house. And for years I reminded them if they ever decided to part with it, I wanted to buy it. Guess what? They GAVE it to me! I guess I’ve been a good customer… 😉
A little treat for the interior design class that came over last week to learn about our old house renovation
I hope you’re having an enjoyable Valentine’s weekend!
Do you have anything special planned or are you enjoying a much-needed respite?
As promised . . .
I may be late to the party, but I just recently discovered the IDENTIFICATION TOOL for china, crystal, flatware, and collectibles at Replacements, Ltd. If you’re a dish person, I know you’ve spent time trying to identifying pieces, and it takes so.much.time. Not anymore! Just click on the camera icon in the search bar at the top of their website then follow the easy directions.
Aunt Floe would have loved this tool! For many years she owned a gift shop FULL of glassware and collectibles in downtown El Reno, Oklahoma.
I stumbled on this recently when a friend was given several boxes of crystal (multiple patterns!) and asked me if I knew how to identify them. When I pulled up the Replacements website to share with her, there was the ID tool. I may have done a happy dance. She doesn’t plan to keep everything and would love to find new homes, so if there’s a particular pattern you’re looking for, leave it in the comments and I’ll let you know if she has anything.
In the meantime, I know what you’re going to do. Same thing I did when I got home! You’re going to see if you can identify that “mystery” piece in your stash, aren’t you? You’re welcome. Enjoy!
Love this post! I’ve been giving Replacements some business of late. I must think I’m going to live forever! Carousel by Fostoria has become my search, resurrecting a long ago choice that was pushed by the wayside. I have very, very few pieces from my grandmother (born in 1888). I always enjoy your table settings!
Nellie, I wasn’t familiar with Carousel, but it’s lovely! As for living forever, I had to laugh. Live in the present and enjoy your dishes. Replacements will thank you! 😉
Wonderful finds, Susan! So fun to see your post today, and glimpses into your decor. How fun to have decorators over to talk through your renovations. I bet they were entranced. That tool on Replacements is great!
Wishing you warmth through the remainder of winter, and looking forward to spring!
Susan, they are exquisite. Such an amazing treasure. I love all your pretty ♥♥♥ decorations.