Hello, I'm Carl Raymond, the host of the Gilded Gentleman History podcast, where every two weeks we delve into worlds light and dark in America's

Gilded Age, France's Belle Epoch, and England's late Victorian and Edwardian eras.

The slightly mysterious process of falling in love is, of course, nothing new.

It's something no one can really even describe, but you just know when it's happened to you.

Whether it's the butterflies in your stomach or the inability to think about anything else except your beloved,

that is something that just hasn't changed throughout history.

What perhaps has changed is the way in which we tell

or try to tell those we love just how we feel.

And to me, there is just no better way to convey this most delicate and

heartfelt of emotions than sending a Valentine. Valentine's in one form or another have

been around for centuries, but the story of how they have evolved, how they appeared, what they said, and what images and designs were used

to illustrate one's love. Well, that is a fascinating story that illuminates the very best of the

human spirit. Joining me today for an in-depth look at the history of Valentine's and how they evolved into the Victorian period is noted collector and historian of these missives of love, Nancy Rosen.

Nancy Rosen has been a passionate collector of Valentine's and expressions of love for more than 50 years.

Her collection of more than 12,000 items encompasses the full range of this theme from birth,

friendship, love, and marriage to mourning. Her collection has been placed at the Huntington Library

in San Marino, California, where collectors and researchers can have access,

and it has become a significant documentary archive. Nancy is president of the National Valentine

Collectors Association and President Emerita of the Ephemorous Society of America. She regularly

writes, publishes, and speaks on the subject of

Valentine's. She has appeared, along with some examples from her collection on Martha Stewart

Living, CBS Sunday Morning with Charles Osgood, and numerous articles have been written about the

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