Valentine's Day during the 1940s

At the Catawba County Museum of History, the archives hold many decades worth of an extensive newspaper collection from the Hickory Daily Record. While recently skimming through some issues from the 1940s, I found a Valentine's Day ad from The Bisanar Company Jewelers in downtown Hickory. It's amazing to think that Bisanar's has been in business in the same building since 1896 in Union Square. 114 years later the company still provides jewelry for your sweetheart, just as it did in this WWII-era advertisement. You could buy an engagement ring for less than $50! Happy Valentine's Day!

Smithsonian blogs about Valentine's Day

The National Postal Museum blog, part of the Smithsonian, posted a really intriguing article about Valentine's Day during the Victorian Era. Read more--I bet some of it will really surprise you! "Love and Derision; Or, Valentine’s Day Victorian Style"

It's Valentine Week!

The Harper House/Hickory History Center will be hosting a Victorian Valentine party on Sunday, February 14 from 2 until 4 pm. The event is for all ages and will feature light refreshments and the chance to make your very own valentine to take home! Learn about valentine traditions, view the exhibitions in the Lyerly House. The event is free. Tours of the Victorian-style Harper House are available for $5. Hope you see you there!