Collections consists of holiday greeting cards. Description is forthcoming and will be published as it becomes available.

Sub-series consists of seven eighteenth and nineteenth century Valentine's Day cards and prints. Most date sometime from the early to mid-nineteenth century Valentines cards or prints. One Valentine dates from approximately 1790. Prints and cards have been framed.

Hand-coloured printed Valentine featuring vignette with two figures surrounded by cherubs and crane. With fold-out piece featuring image of the Three Graces with German text printed behind it. Verso contains printed explanatory text. Verso contains name of cards addressee and sender (Jacob Mercker) handwritten.

The Valentines subseries consists of a variety of greeting card formats and styles from primarily the Victorian era but as late as the interwar period. These include a mix of cards that have been sent and kept by the receiver in addition to several cards that likely belonged to a stationer or printer. While some cards include handwritten messages, most cards are unsigned and seem to be unsold copies or samples belonging to a catalog. Sub-subseries include: comic valentines, foldout or pop-up valentines, ornate handmade valentines, printed manufactured valentines, puzzle or rebus valentines, and sentimental valentines. In addition, the subseries contains several examples of additional ephemera related to Valentine’s Day or the greeting card business, such as valentine writers or printer’s catalogs. There are is also a full scrapbook of card samples and additional scrapbook pages with affixed cards. Additionally, there are a few card making materials or scraps that highlight the various components and processes of card making. The subseries also includes some greetings cards not associated with Valentine's day, but originally found with Valentine's cards.

These materials are primarily useful in capturing the essence of Victorian sentimentality and communication culture. Spanning several decades, they represent the evolving printing culture and technology of the nineteenth century. The subseries equally illustrates the industrial age and the emerging consumerist and capitalist societies as several greeting card companies surfaced around the world to profit from the sudden craze. More subtly, the cards allow for an appreciated of craftsmanship and reflection on women’s role in manufacturing as their smaller hands were often required to do the finishing work on handmade cards.

The Sentimental Valentines sub-subseries consists of cards, handmade or manufactured, in which a long, sentimental poem is the main feature. The cards range in terms of format and style. They may be elaborately decorated by hand with several materials, or simple printed on cardstock. They are usually illustrated with allegorical images or stock illustrations of couples, mythology or landscapes. Some of the cards have handwritten messages professing one’s love for the recipient. They are excellent examples of Victorian sentimentality and 19th century poetic verse.

The Handmade Valentines sub-subseries is comprised of 131 cards using a variety of craft materials.The Handmade Valentines sub-subseries consists of cards that have been collaged together by someone and include hand-finished details. They are typically made with a melange of lace-paper, embossed paper, cut-out pictures and paper shapes. They might be finished with a hand-written or printed message and might be hand-drawn or at least assembled by hand. The materials used in these handmade valentines are diverse and can include metal trinkets, ribbon, satin, fabrics, artificial or dried flowers, beads, feathers and wire.