Vinegar valentines were “mocking” or “comic” valentines) from the Victorian Era, which were popular for at least a century. It is interesting how the cards’ targets changed with the changing norms of society. During the 19th century, old maids and temptresses were most likely to find a comic valentine in their mailbox. However, as the women’s suffrage movement gained momentum, the suffragettes suddenly became the most obvious targets of these mocking cards. The popularity of vinegar valentines fell off in the 1940s, although some stayed in circulation until the late 1970s.
They were really common in shops, and there was a card for every sort of person that you might have disliked: the salesman, the clingy suitor, the annoying landlady and covered every flaw you could think of. When vinegar valentines first came about, it was the receiver and not the sender who had to pay for the postage. The receiver was both insulted anonymously and had to pay for the insult.
I am not particularly confident in drawing faces but the workshop on Monday really helped give me ideas and inspiration for how I could create a caricature. I want to make sure the writing is impactful because this is a major part of the vinegar valentine which is often a rhyme. I want mine to be comedic and clever, on topic with the public figure I choose. I would rather take it lightheartedly because insulting someone out of anger isn’t something I find productive or good for my mental health, and I could definitely get frustrated or sad over politics.
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