Jonathan King 1836–1911
For one family, Valentine’s Day cards were a labour of love
Jonathan King was born into the valentines trade. His father (also named Jonathan) owned a stationer’s shop in Euston. Initially valentines were a sideline, but his mother Clarissa had a talent for design and her handcrafted cards proved popular. Jonathan joined them in the business at the age of 12.
In 1861 he married his wife Emily; a surviving card, which concealed numerous romantic messages and a gilded wedding ring, suggests he proposed with a valentine of his own. They went on to have 15 children, giving one the middle name ‘Valentine’.
In 1869 the couple took over the family business, moving it to Islington where ‘The Fancy Valentine Shop’ was patronised by the cream of Victorian society. Their cards were some of the most intricate and innovative on the market, all manufactured by hand in an on-site workshop that was managed by their daughter Ellen Rose.
Jonathan retired in 1905, when the business was finally closed. However, he had a legacy to leave behind him: the biggest private collection of greetings cards, including 30,000 valentines – many samples from the shop. Sadly, he couldn’t find an institution to take it before he died, although more than 1,500 of his valentines eventually came to the Museum of London, where they remain today.