![]() ![]() So when Hallmark began manufacturing Valentine’s Day cards in 1916, this mass production meant sending postcards was much cheaper and easier. This postal reform made it possible for everyday Americans to send and receive mail-while the Industrial Revolution brought the advent of printing press technology. The industry really hit its stride in the 1850s after Congress voted to decrease postage rates in an effort to circumvent the privatization of the postal service. ![]() “Those 19th century greeting card publishers were simply following suit with what was on trend,” Bradbeer tells TIME. It’s no surprise that when greeting-card manufacturers made products for the holiday, they included imagery of Cupid that was inspired by beloved Renaissance art, Samantha Bradbeer, the historian for Hallmark Cards, Inc., explains. Valentine’s Day was already becoming popular in the 18th century, and by the turn of the 19th century, Cupid had become linked to the holiday for his love-creating abilities. ![]()
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