For this year’s Valentine’s Day, we first have from 1912, A Valentine Joke Book — part of the weekly 1911-1912 Sunday American Joke Book series. These were newspaper supplements, bound as newsprint magazines, inside the Boston American and N.Y. American newspapers. (Other cities might also have done these — I do not know; due to the fragile nature of their construction, few copies have survived.)

Although this issue was titled A Valentine Joke Book, the majority of the content had nothing to do with Valentine’s Day or Romance. The cartoons I’m posting here, are the only ones which were on topic.

Above, the cover cartoon — Caught in the Act — by Frederick Burr Opper. We see Mr. Monk, caught buying a penny dreadful, or, vinegar valentine, making fun of Mr. Lion.

Click on the above & below pictures, to view them in detail, and be able to read them.

Below, an episode of the comic strip Joys and Glooms, by T.E. Powers, titled The Packages that Got Mixed — A Valentine Tragedy.

Next, by F.M. Howarth, an episode of the romantic comedy strip Lulu and Leander, titled A New Mexican Burro’s Valentine.

Finally, below, we have a Sherlocko the Monk episode, by Gus Mager. Sherlocko the Monk became Hawkshaw the Detective a year after this, when Mager switched newspapers. In this episode, each panel is the mode of a vinegar valentine, per those shown being sold on the cover.

And to close out, below, the cover from the February 1852 issue of Yankee Notions, showing Jonathan (Uncle Sam) attempting to compose a Valentine’s love letter.

Click here to find past Valentine’s Day postings.

Doug Wheeler

ValentinesDay