Penny Dreadfuls
also known as
Vinegar Valentines

A new type of Valentine's Day Card that was not full of love and adoration appeared in 1858.  They were known as Vinegar Valentine's or Penny Dreadfuls.  They were exactly that, 1¢.  For the most part they were made from very inexpensive paper and poorly printed.

They were not beautiful, ornate or romantic, quite the opposite.  The artwork was uncomplicated, the colors were simple and they were filled with verses of humorous and rhyming insults, insulting everyone and anyone, teachers, spinsters, friends and other lovelorn individuals.   Most often they were sent anonymously to people who were not liked.  To make it even worse, in the 1800's the receiver was the person who paid for the postage, so these poor individuals paid to be insulted!

Even a few of the prominent printers such as Raphael Tuck began printing insult Valentine's.  They were popular for years and were sent up until the mid 1900's.  

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