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Valentine card: P.14414-R-33

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Object information

Current Location: In storage

Titles

Valentine card

Maker(s)

Publisher: Dobbs, Henry

Entities

Categories

Description

Large 4to-size valentine of cream wove paper (mounted into the album as landscape orientation) mounted onto a larger sheet of white wove paper which is roughly cut along the lower edge. The valentine has an embossed outer border (with Cupids at play in each corner) and a hand-coloured edge in pink. There is an inner border of hand-painted pink and blue flowers and leaves with overlaid lithographed detail in gold ink and gold ink also applied to the embossed scrolls at each corner and other embossed elements. At the centre is a puzzle purse (damaged), inside of which is the remains of a 'cobweb' device around the central hidden image of the word, 'LOVE' painted in leaves and flowers. 'LOVE' also painted at lower centre in gold paint. 'DOBBS PATENT' stamped at lower centre. A clipping is mounted onto the album leaf below the valentine: '583 A very rare and Early Georgian example of the Billet-doux variety, full 4to size, of circa 1820, 15s 6d'. The clipping is from catalogue No. 34, dated 1923-4 of the bookseller, R.S. Frampton who was based at "Walton House", 37 Fonthill Road, Finsbury Park, London, N4. See P.144527-R. P.14528-R is a duplicate catalogue with all pages intact which is useful for cross-referencing. Four of Frampton's catalogues were found in boxes containing Glaisher's valentines. Similar in design to other Dobbs Patent cards, P.14386-R and P.14410-R-8, which include puzzle purses in addition to cobwebs. P.14410-R-12, P.14410-R-14 and P.14414-R-23, are all Dobbs Patent cards that are mounted with clippings from the same catalogue and were presumably bought at the same sale. A graphite inscription on the album leaf below the valentine documents the maker's name: 'Dobbs Patent'. The hand (unknown) is recognisable as that which is seen in other albums throughout the collection, and which reliably documents inscriptions, prices and maker's names.

Legal notes

Bequeathed by Dr J. W. L. Glaisher, 1928

Acquisition and important dates

Method of acquisition: Bequeathed (1928) by Glaisher, J. W. L., Dr

Dating

19th Century
Circa 1820 - Circa 1830

School or Style

British

Techniques used in production

Hand-colouring
Lithography

Identification numbers

Accession number: P.14414-R-33
Primary reference Number: 215024
Stable URI

Audit data

Created: Tuesday 14 February 2017 Updated: Friday 26 January 2018 Last processed: Friday 8 December 2023

Associated departments & institutions

Owner or interested party: The Fitzwilliam Museum
Associated department: Paintings, Drawings and Prints

Citation for print

This record can be cited in the Harvard Bibliographic style using the text below:

The Fitzwilliam Museum (2024) "Valentine card" Web page available at: https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/215024 Accessed: 2024-11-16 06:44:07

Citation for Wikipedia

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{{cite web|url=https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/215024 |title=Valentine card |author=The Fitzwilliam Museum|accessdate=2024-11-16 06:44:07|publisher=The University of Cambridge}}

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https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/api/v1/objects/object-215024

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        <img src="https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/imagestore/pdp/pdp77/P_14414_R_33_1_201609_amt49_dc2.jpg"
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        <figcaption class="figure-caption text-info">Valentine card</figcaption>
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