February 14, 2011
Penny Dreadfuls
In the mid-nineteenth century, romantic cynics sent inexpensively-printed insult greetings on Valentine’s Day, often labeled by profession and typically featuring a short riff on the classic four-line verse. Called Penny Dreadfuls (because they cost a penny) and sometimes referred to as “Vinegar Valentines,” they were funny and mean — and because of this, were often sent anonymously.
Such gestures remind us, as others have said, that nothing says “I Love You” like a mass-produced sentiment written by somebody else: Herewith, our very own collection.
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By Jessica Helfand
Jessica Helfand, a founding editor of Design Observer, is an award-winning graphic designer and writer and a former contributing editor and columnist for Print, Communications Arts and Eye magazines. A member of the Alliance Graphique Internationale and a recent laureate of the Art Director’s Hall of Fame, Helfand received her B.A. and her M.F.A. from Yale University where she has taught since 1994.
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