Don't be Chicken my little Love Bird!

It would be DUCKY to have you for my Valentine!

4 1/4" x 3 7/8"
dated 1941
 Flat
 marked: made in USA

Love's Tribute - Just a word of greeting, But may it bear to you The hopes in my heart beating, Dear Valentine, for you.

3" x 3 3/8"
circa 190s, 1910s
 2-sided Flat

Oh, Pelican from the deep sea's brine - Carry oceans of love to my Valentine.

3 5/8" x 6 3/8"
circa 1930s 
Mechanical Flat
 marked: Printed in Germany
 Text refers to a 'Pelican' while image is of a penguin

Valentine  - I'm the BIRD that Loves You.  

2" x 3 7/8"
circa 1930s, 1940s
Flat
made in USA

Just HUMMING around to be your Valentine ~ I've gone DAFFY over you hope you'll learn to like me too.

2 5/8" x 5 1/8"
circa 1930s

Hummingbird and Daffodil
Mechanical Flat

Owly eyes are telling mine you will be my Valentine

5 7/8" x 4 7/8"
dated 1936
flat

A Pair of Owls Cuddle on a Branch
marked: Made in USA

You're the bird for me Valentine.

2 3/4" x 3 1/2"
circa 1930s, 1940s

Robin in Top Hat and Shoes
Flat

To My Valentine ~ Just a little valentine A little greeting too For someone who is very nice And that someone is you.

2 1/4" x 3 3/4"
dated 1925
single fold

Coulda PHONED ya --Coulda WIRED ya -- Coulda wrote a LETTER ~ But to say "I like you lots" A VALENTINE is better!

3 5/8" x 3 5/8" (3 5/8" x 7 1/4" opened)
dated 1948
french fold
by Hallmark
marked: 5V104-4

SWALLOW your pride and be my Valentine - I'd like to be a swallow, Then dart to you and say: "I love you dearly, truly, Be my Valentine Today."

2 1/2" x 3 3/4"
circa 1930s
made in USA
by Carrington
A in tree logo

With best wishes to My Valentine ~ I'm so Bashful! The Valentine's a fine invention For bashful chaps like me, I need not even sign my name A great relief, you see.

4" x 3 7/8" (4" x 7 3/4" opened)
Made in USA
by Whitney Made
circa 1930s

To one I love.

1 3/8" x 4 3/8"
Made in Germany
circa 1920s

You're OWL I want My Valentine.

5 1/2" x 2 3/4"
circa 1940s, 1950s
Mechanical Flat 

To my Valentine. Love. The thought of you makes my heart sing ~ I want to take you under my WING.

circa 1920s, 1930s
Mechanical Stork, Crane
made in USA
Mechanical Flat  

I'm sticking my neck out to ask U, to be my Valentine.

Ostrich in zoo

made in USA
Flat 

To One I Love

2 1/2" x 4 1/2"
circa 1910s/1920s
Mechanical Flat 
Made in Germany

To My Valentine
I can't begin to tell you
How happy it would make me
If you would be my Valentine
And never more forsake me.

3 1/4" x 4 1/2" (6 5/8" x 4 1/2" unfolded)
dated 1921
made by Whitney Made

Everything with me is DUCKY and my friends say I'm so Lucky. My Valentine!

5 7/8" x 3 7/8"
circa 1930s/1940s
made in USA
Fold-out  

 SPEAK UP
Whose Valentine are you?

3 1/8" x 4 3/8"
circa 1930s
Flat 
Made in USA
 

In friendship very true and sweet
This cheery valentine is sent on wings of love to greet
A charming friend of mine.

2 5/8" x 3 1/4" (2 5/8" x 6 1/2" open)
circa 1920s/1930s
Single-Fold 

 I'll have something to CROW about if you'll be My Valentine

7" x 5 3/8"
circa 1920s/1930s
mechanical rooster/chicken
made in USA
Flat 

Hi Lovebird! Have a SWEET Valentine!

4 1/4" x 5 1/4"
circa 1940s/1950s
Erco Candies

Lollipop Card

Here I am my Valentine!

made in Germany
circa 1930s

Female in Top hat rides a Large Bird 

Mechanical Flat  

To my Valentine Whoo says I can't stay in your Heart.

Owl pops up

circa 1930s 

Love Be Mine And I'll have Something to Crow About My Valentine.

4" x 7 3/8"
dated 1949
made in USA
mechanical flat

Artist - Grace Drayton - Mmm Mmm Good!

Valentine Greetings - Sweetheart, whate'er this life withholds, This one thing comforts me, Tho' much I craved hath been denied, Dear love it gave me thee. (on the underside of the base) To my Valentine It isn't fair the way you play, you steal a heart and run away (on piece featuring the two figures)

7 3/4" x 9 1/2" (3" deep when opened)
circa 1910s
fold-down dimensional
Two running figures
no makers mark
made in USA

For my Valentine.

9" x 5"
dated 1917
flat with easel stand
Dutch Girl in Wooden Shoes
by Bergman
made in USA

Grace Drayton (born Viola Grace Gebbie in 1877) is best known as the creator of the Campbell's Soup Kids (in 1904).  Born the daughter of an art printer, George Gebbie, she and her sisters all were talented. She got a formal art education at The Philadelphia School of Design for Women, though she may never have graduated. 

Happy Valentine.

7 1/8" x 3 5/8"
dated 1917
mechanical flat with with easel stand

Girl with Bird on Umbrella

by Bergman
made in USA

Her earliest work was done under her maiden name - Grace Geddie.  Later illustrations are credited either as Grace Wiederseim (GG Wiederseim) following her first marriage to Theodore E. Wiederseim Jr in 1904 or even later, Grace or GG Drayton (1911 and after).  She illustrated many books - several of which can be very hard to find these days - created comic strips, designed dolls (esp notable is the Dolly Dingle paper doll series), drew magazine covers, calendars, created cast iron figures, and more.

Valentine I am yours.

8 3/4" x 4 1/2"
dated 1917
for Bergman

made in USA

Her chubby children include a lot of girls in sunbonnets.  Puppo is a little sad-eyed dog character that is awfully cute.  Another character seen repeated on a lot of items is her September Morn/September Moon nude bathing figures based on Paul Chabas' September Morning.

My heart will dance right down the line If you'll be mine, my Valentine.

4 3/4" x 4 1/2"
circa 1910s
single fold

Art Nouveau front has girl in hat in very similar pose as girl with basket above

Interior features a tennis player.   This one could be someone copying Drayton's style - it is from the same time period as other valentines of hers.  The print quality is not as nice as on the Bergman cards, but it is charming none the less.

Her Valentine's Day cards are rarely signed by her, making identification a little tricky.  She created many different stand-up character cards for Bergman which carry the Bergman logo.  Her figures often have sad eyes and an up-turned gaze.  Others have very round eyes and lots of lashes - somewhat similar to Chloe Preston's children.  They all tend to sport rosy, chubby cheeks.  Most will date from the 1910s or 1920s. Be aware that there are reproductions out there, especially of her postcards and Dolly Dingle paper dolls, done by B. Shackman Co and by Dover.

To My Love.

10" x 4 7/8"
Dolly Dingle
mechanical with easel stand

Ms. Drayton divorced from her second husband in 1923. This was quite scandalous in the day, with the details of her divorce covered in the pages of The New York Times. Throughout the 1920s she was very active in several artist societies and in New York social circles. She was a founder of the Philadelphia Plastic Club, in 1897, an art organization for women artists that still endures today, though membership is no longer limited to women.

Figure from magazine page of Dolly Dingle World Flight in Switzerland.

3 7/8" x 1 5/8"
for paper doll
From The Pictorial Review
series ran from 1913 - 1933
pages from the depression era were printed in two-tones like this example.  Prior to 1926 Dolly Dingle pages were in full color

I'm Yours.
magazine cut-out
1 7/8" x 2"

Drayton's sister, Margaret G. Hayes, also drew lots of children, creating many adorable paper dolls as well as book illustrations and valentines.  The two talented sisters sometimes collaborated, like they did on the comic The Turr'ble Tales of Kaptin Kiddo. 

Artie and Baldie
magazine cut-out
1 3/4" x 2 3/8"

Less well known are Drayton's paintings of women. Several appeared as cover images for The Saturday Evening Post. Ms. Drayton died of a heart attack on January 31, 1936, just a year after beginning another comic strip, The Pussycat Princess. She was only 58 at the time and still turning out several drawings a day up until a brief illness that precipitated her untimely death.

Use Wheataren - For My Valentine Grocer I'll take your orders

Mechanical Flat

circa 1910s, 1920s

6" x 3 3/8"

I'm trying to drum up someone - For My Valentine 

Mechanical Flat

circa 1910s, 1920s

6 1/4" x 3"

Valentine Greetings - In Arcady

Postcard

circa 1907 - 1914

5 1/2" x 3 1/2"
by Raphael Tuck
In Arcady Series No. 2915
with Wiederseim signature

********************************************************************************
Companies Ms. Wiederseim-Drayton is Known to Have Worked For:
(this list may not be complete)

• A. M. Davis Co. (Quality Cards)
• B.B., London (Birn Bros)
• Reinthal & Newman, N.Y.
• Raphael Tuck
• A. G. Taylor
• Armour & Co
• Fairman Co
• C. W. Faulkner
• Campbell Art Co
• Campbell Soup Co
• Swift & Co
• Alfred Schweizer Co

********************************************************************************

Sources:

Grace Drayton, a Children’s Illustrator Who also Painted Young Women--a Biographical Sketch; by W. E. McGrath
Valentine Treasury - A Century of Valentine Cards; by Robert Brenner
The Artist-Signed Postcard Price Guide; by J. L. Mashburn

A Sweet for My Sweet - Lollipop Cards marked Erco - E Rosen Co

Hi Cutie! Guess we're in the same boat now.

4 1/4" x 5 1/4"
circa 1950s
Lollipop Card
by E Rosen Company

 Hi Lovebird! Have a SWEET Valentine!

4 1/4" x 5 1/4"
circa 1950s/1960s
Erco Candies
Lollipop Card

Just LOADED with Love for You.

4 1/8" x 5 1/4"
Lollipop Card
made by Erco

ERCO is likely a shortening for the E Rosen Co of Rhode Island. E Rosen has been in business since around 1911 and have produced a number of fun plastic collectibles as well as their wonderful lollipop cards.

I'm Buster Brown, and I live in a shoe. ♥♥♥♥

♥That's my dog, Tige, and he lives there, too. ♥

My Valentine, Valentine

6 5/8" x 4"
circa 1920s
die-cut mechanical

Buster Brown Styled Child and Cat
by Richard Felton Outcault

Outcault created the first merchandised, comic strip character with his Yellow Kid from the Hogan's Alley strip of the 1890s.  Buster Brown came along in 1902.  This character can be found on many items - most famously on the Brown Shoe Companies' shoes, often accompanied with Tige, his dog. Some of the other child characters Outcault drew on valentines featured children with chin-length hair and hats with up-turned brims - just like Buster.

You can't believe how pleased I would be if you would be My Valentine. What a chance.

5 1/2" x 3 1/2"
dated 1907
Postcard
by Raphael Tuck
 Series 106


**********************************************************************

Companies Outcault is known to have worked for (list is not to be considered complete):

Raphael Tuck and Sons

**********************************************************************

Sources:

If You've Never Been a Frog Kissin'...

To One I Love

6 7/8" x 5 3/4" (with mouth opened)
circa 1920s
mechanical mouth
with rotating wheel
made in Germany
Part of a series - click here to view more cards in this series.

Artist Marked: Initials - H. B.

To My Valentine ~ Cupid flies no more they say to this weary world today; But this fact I know is true Cupid brings my heart to you.

1 1/4" x 6 5/8"
circa 1920s
Standing Fold-Out
marked: HB

Valentine ~ To My Valentine!

3 7/8" x 2 3/8" 

circa 1920s, 1930s
girl in green dress and hat
made in Germany
Mechanical Flat
Eyes move
marked H. B. along bottom edge

Valentine Greetings

3 7/8" x 2 3/8" 

circa 1920s, 1930s
sailor
made in Germany
Mechanical Flat
Eyes move
marked H. B. along bottom edge

These big-eyed characters have a lot of personality and nice detailing. The heads are a little large, with small hands. The initials H. B. are likely an artist marking, but could also be a company mark.