Valentine’s Day Through the Years

Hallmark founder J.C. Hall began selling Valentine’s Day postcards in 1910.
As postcards declined in popularity, Hallmark added greeting cards to its line in 1912. Valentines were added to the company’s inventory in 1913.
Hallmark began printing its own greeting card designs in 1915. The company’s first Valentine’s Day cards appeared on store shelves in 1916.
- Hallmark’s first greeting cards in 1915 were printed text and line images made from steel die engravings. A hand-fed press would produced between 500-700 cards per hour. The images were than hand-painted, which each artist adding a color.
- Silk-screen and airbrush techniques were later added.