Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Valentines’heyday
THE story of Scotland’s most pioneering and successful commercial photographers, best known for popularising the holiday postcard, will be celebrated in a free exhibition that opens at V&A Dundee this summer.
Sincerely, Valentines – From Postcards to Greetings Cards, runs from July 2 until January 8 2023 and will tell the story of Dundee company J Valentine & Sons.
Founded in 1825 in Dundee, the family firm Valentines capitalised on rapid developments in photography, printing and tourism in the early 20th Century to create a fascinating body of work and a vibrant industry, quickly becoming one of the city’s largest employers.
The exhibition, developed in collaboration with the University of St Andrews, is a partnership between V&A Dundee and curatorial practice Panel that uncovers the story of Valentines, bringing together the disciplines of photography, illustration and print design.
Supported by players of the People’s Postcode Lottery, the exhibition will be displayed in V&A Dundee’s Michelin Design Gallery, a free exhibition and years after that I approached the V&A team in Dundee to explore the possibilities of an exhibition, backed by the James Valentine Photographic Collection, preserved by University of St Andrews Libraries and Museums.
“Right from that very first meeting, I have been immensely encouraged by everyone’s enthusiasm and have appreciated being involved throughout the process.
“I just wish that all my family who contributed so much to the success and reputation of the Valentine company in Dundee could be around to see the wonderful way in which their work, and the effort of all who worked in the company, is now being recorded in this very comprehensive way.”
Rachel Nordstrom, photographic collections manager at St Andrews University, said: “It has been a real pleasure to investigate new aspects of our photographic archive in partnership with V&A Dundee and Panel.”
Curators Catriona Duffy and Lucy McEachan of Panel said the popularity of the postcard reached its peak in the early 1900s. During that time its unique status as both a collectable picture and a communication tool invested it with soft power across geography, class, politics and taste and it can be compared to the reach of social media today.