Worcester, Massachusetts, was an early center for the production of greeting cards, particularly Valentines, in the United States. In 1847, local resident Esther Howland began to make and sell Valentines. She used imported embossed and lacy papers and scrap and assembled them by hand, assisted by friends. Later, she merged her business with that of Jotham Taft, another Valentine maker, and they formed the New England Valentine Co. (N.E.V. Co.). In 1863, George C. Whitney began his Valentine business. By 1890, he had bought out many of his competitors, including the N.E.V. Co. The Whitney company closed in 1942 because of war-time shortages of paper.
From the description of Worcester archive, ca.1863-1953, ca.1863-ca.1900 (bulk dates). (Winterthur Library). WorldCat record id: 668310192
