The tradition of sending valentines was popularized by a 19th-century businesswoman
Esther Howland transformed the American greeting card industry in the 1840s by mass-producing elaborate, lace-adorned Valentine's Day cards, earning her the title Mother of the American Valentine.
Esther Howland revolutionized the greeting card industry after receiving an English valentine and realizing she could produce superior versions in the United States. During the 1840s, she established an all-female assembly line in her family home to hand-assemble intricate cards using imported lace, silk, and colorful lithographs.
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