This is one of many valentines given to Eddie Brown in 1927. Eddie was the son of Lola (Hughes) and Walter Brown. He was no longer able to attend school in 1927 because his kidneys were failing. His schoolmates brought him Valentine cards to his home. The first commercial Valentines in America were created in the 1840s by Esther Howland. However, the giving of Valentines to friends and loved ones didn’t become popular in America until the Civil War. Improved printing techniques of the Victorian era allowed cards to become more readily available and thus more popular. The tradition of giving cards has been extremely popular ever since. In 2012, the American Greeting Card Association estimated that 25% of all greeting cards purchased are valentines!