Small c. 1840s Paper Lace Valentine with (Much Faded) Handwritten Message and Original Envelop old wooden blocks so the first bunch of

so the first bunch of photos

which is what I love about them--the most pared down (and I think very elegant) solutions to the task

and the manipulation of the materials such a challenging and laborious process

Mississippi and  Lumberton

soon to be (in 1907) obscured by a postmark

Small c. 1840s Paper Lace Valentine with (Much Faded) Handwritten Message and Original Envelop old wooden blocks so the first bunch ofI will continue to scoop good early paper lace valentines whenever I find them because I love them, and you seem to, too. This is a lovely small folded one, c. 1840s, with a handwritten message inside, though the ink is much faded and hard to read. And with what I presume is the envelop it was originally delivered in larger than it, but it is pretty rare to find such a small valentine! Addressed to an Andrew Cobb of Parsippany, NJ. Valentine: 2 11 16"