CHLOE PRESTON - Master of Intricate Honeycombed Cards

To One I Love.

3 7/8" x 3"
circa 1910s, 1920s
Children and an Elephant
Standing, 2 Layered Card

To My Sweetheart ~ Just these few words from me, Wherever thou may be, Forget-me-not.

3 3/8" x 2 1/4" x 6"
circa 1910s, 1920s
Girl in Hat with Flowers
Pull-Down

To My Valentine May this give a pledge to thee and speak in silence from me.

9 5/8" x 8 1/2"
In envelope dated 1908
Figures with Inkwell
Letters and Cat
honeycomb stand-up

by Chloe Preston

To My Valentine ~ 'Tis my delight to bring you this within its folds you'll find a kiss.

7 1/8" x 6 1/2"
circa 1910s, 1920s
Figures with Perfume Atomizer
Honeycomb Stand Up
Made in Germany

Forget me not I ask of Thee, Reserve one spot your heart for me.

4 3/4" x 5"
circa 1910s, 1920s
Figure playing Lute while another holds a teddy bear
and watches from the window
honeycomb stand-up

To My Valentine May this give a pledge to thee and speak in silence from me.

4 1/2" x 7 1/3"
circa 1910s, 1920s
Two figure with Blazing Hearts
and Flowers in an Urn
honeycomb stand-up

To My Valentine.

4 1/2" x 7 1/3"
circa 1910s, 1920s
Girl in Bonnet with Doll
and Basket of Hearts
mechanical flat card
Head and Eyes Move
by Chloe Preston

To One I Love.

4" x 3 1/8"
circa 1910s, 1920s
Girl in Striped Dress with
Umbrella and Basket of Hearts
Feet on Wheel to Walk
by Chloe Preston

To My Valentine.

4" x 3 1/8"
circa 1910s, 1920s
Figure with Hat, Umbrella, Basket of Hearts
and Duck in Pocket
Walking Feet on Wheel
by Chloe Preston

To My Valentine.

4 1/4" x 2 5/8"
circa 1910s, 1920s
Girl in Flowered Dress with Clown on String
Walking Feet
by Chloe Preston

To My Sweetheart.

6 1/4" x 4 1/2"
circa 1910s, 1920s
Girl in Flowered Bonnet with 
Cone of Hearts
Walking Feet
by Chloe Preston
These walking valentines feature chubby characters with big eyes and wide faces.  The multiple feet are on round discs that turn.  The figures are very detailed and feature wonderful colors and embossing.

To my Valentine.

6" x 8 1/2"
circa 1920s
by Chloe Preston
part of a series of walking cards
mechanical flat

Valentine Greetings.

2 7/8" x 4 7/8"
circa 1920s

Above Identified as by Cloe Preston on p 66 of Brenner's Valentine Treasury

a less typical example of her work

We can't yet be 100% positive, but we are reasonably convinced that this is the work of Chloe Preston (b 1887 - d 1969). While the English artist is best known for her Chunkies and Peek-A-Boo characters, she also created many valentines dating largely to the 1910s or so (WWI era). It is difficult to be very precise when discussing her valentines as they are not signed by her, making identification a challenge.

Her valentine figures tend to have large round eyes with many lashes, like these do. She also did considerable work incorporating red honeycomb or paper-puff on free-standing cards.

This one features a fireman theme, with a house ablaze and girl to be rescued. Crows fly above the red shingled roof.  One of the birds is holding a heart in its beak. The fire fighters wear black helmets with red hearts adorning the front. While one raises a ladder to the window, the other mans a leaky hose. Flowerpots fall from the balcony as an unused blue bucket sits below. It is a very active scene.

Despite the obvious damage (mainly to the upper bit of paper-puff), the beauty of this card remains. The detailing is fabulous, with much care paid not just to the figures, but to their surroundings as well.

The card stands 9 1/2" tall, 7" wide and about 4" deep. Its only marking notes that it was made in Germany. A faucet and note stand in the lower bit of paper-puff. The message on the note reads:

To my Valentine
This little card
I send to you
To tell you I
Continue true.

The flames are die-cut with yellow backing paper, adding a lovely glow to them as light peeks through.

Even if we were to find this was not the work of Ms. Preston, it was clearly created by a talented artist. This has become one of my favorites in my collection - now if only I could get a bit more repair done to that paper-puff.

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Click here to see more Cards by Chloe Preston

Victorian and Other Dimensional and Pull-Out /Pull-Down Vintage and Antique Valentines

My Valentine ~ To My Valentine ~ To My Valentine 'Tis my delight to bring you this within its folds you'll find a kiss. 

7 1/2" x 4 1/4"
circa 1900s, 1910s  
Dimensional
with 3 Layers
and red paper puff
marked: Germany

To my Love.

4" x 5 5/8" x 2"
dated 1930
   Dimensional
   marked: made in Germany
 3 layers
 paper puff detail

A Token of Love - The rose is pink, The violet is blue, My heart is warm With love for you.

8 7/8" x 6 7/8" x 3 7/8"
Dimensional Card
Girls in white Bonnets
4 layers + Free Butterfly Scrap attached by String
circa 1900s, 1910s
no origin or publisher's marks
 paper-puff accent in red
wonderfully detailed and printed on very heavy paper

To My Valentine.

12 1/8" x 8 5/8" x 2 1/4"
Dimensional Card
Angels with Cannon
5 layers
circa 1900s, 1910s
marked: Germany
features a tissue paper flag emblazoned with a heart
and paper-puff accent in red
perhaps a Frances Brundage

With Loving Thoughts ~ To One I Love ~ May Love's sweet music make bright each day, And Love's fair blossoms bestrew thy way.

4 1/4" x 2 7/8" x 2 1/4"
Dimensional Card
circa 1900s
features a boy in knickers and high boots
with a small dog, a pug perhaps?

To My Valentine.

Dimensional
5 3/4" x 3" x 2"
made in Germany
with unusual anchor and bird's nest detail

To my Valentine

2 1/4" x 4 1/4"
circa 1910s-1920s
Dimensional
made in Germany

To My Valentine

3 1/8" x 3 3/4"
circa 1910s-1920s
Dimensional
made in GERMANY

Loving Thoughts ...To My Sweetheart

2 3/4" x 4 5/8"
circa 1910s-1920s
Dimensional
made in Germany

No Text

Boy in Sailor Suit
with basket of pink flowers
circa 1900s-1910s
Dimensional
made in Germany

No Text

Large Lyre in Background Layer
boy gives letter to a dove
circa 1910s-1920s
Dimensional
made in Germany

To My Love ~ A Token of Affection ~ This little gift o you addressed, Bespeaks a secret in my breast, A secret sacred and divine That I'll tell to none but my Valentine

Girls with heart and Flowers
with small paper puff rosette
circa 1910s-1920s
Dimensional

No Text

Windmill in Background Layer
with Angel and Basket of flowers
circa 1910s-1920s
Dimensional
made in Germany

No Text

Cow on Background Layer
with Angel driving Old Car and smaller figures
circa 1910s-1920s
Dimensional
made in Germany

A Token of Love

Pink Background Layer
with Angel and Flowers
circa 1900s-1920s
Dimensional

No Text

Doves and Forget-Me-Nots on Background Layer
with Boy in Fez holding Umbrella; Girl in Red Dress holding Flowers
circa 1900s-1910s
Dimensional
made in Germany

No Text

Doves and Forget-Me-Nots on Background Layer
with Boy and Girl
circa 1900s-1910s
Dimensional
made in Germany

No Text

Garden Arch on Background Layer
Girl with Dog
circa 1900s-1910s
Dimensional
made in Germany

No Text

Ship on Background Layer
Girl and Boy with Flowers
And small paper puff rosette
circa 1920s-1930s
Dimensional
made in Germany

Valentine Greetings

Heart and Horseshoe on Background Layer
Girl in Bonnet
circa 1920s-1930s
Dimensional
made in Germany

Made in Germany

Pussy cat, tell me are you true? Always, dear doggie, when swinging with you.

7 3/4" x 5 3/8" flat
1920s
Standing Mechanical

Animals suggest it may be the work of  Charles Twelvetrees
made in Germany

Germany was home to the heart of the printing industry for several decades. Many of the most desirable valentines of the late 19th century and early 20th century were created there. WWI greatly impacted quite a few of the German printers, but they rebounded for the most part and regained their position at the top of the field for many years to come. 

Just between us ~~ don't you s'pouse we can figger this puzzle out together?

3 5/8" x 5 1/2"
circa 1930s
 Mechanical Flat
marked: printed in Germany
stand on back

WWII and the great devastation it brought changed this forever. It wasn't just the level of destruction wrought in Germany that brought this change, but was also caused by consumers in the Allied countries' reticence to purchase items marked as German made following the war. German products after World War I did not face the level of disdain from purchasers that they did after World War II. 

The country of origin marking can help to date cards. It was some time late in the 1800s that goods were required to bear the name of the country in which they were made somewhere on the goods or package in which they came. In the 1930s this was expanded to require more precise wording such as "made in..." or "printed in...". Card that bear just the word "Germany" would therefore date to prior to the early 1930s. Be aware that the phrase "printed in Germany" does also appear on some earlier cards too. It is just the appearance of the country name with no more wording than that which is significant for dating.

To My Valentine.

3 3/8" x 4 7/8"
circa 1900s, 1910s

Small figure in blue with large basket
Flat

A Token of Affection.

2 7/8" x 5 7/8"
circa 1920s

Girl in Pink Dress with Large Heart Tied in a Blue Ribbon
Flat
made in Germany

My heart is ready - waiting - Why are you hesitating.

6" x 8 1/4"
circa 1920s, 1930s
Mechanical Flat
made in Germany

A Token of Affection.

2 5/8" x 4 1/2"
circa 1920s, 1930s

Girl in Blue Coat and Hat with Basket of Hearts
Mechanical Flat with Easel Stand

Won't you be my Valentine.

2 5/8" x 3 3/4"
Made in Germany
circa 1920s

You see its written in my heart You're my Valentine.

made in Germany
circa 1920s, 1930s
Flat

To My Valentine.

3 5/8" x 3 7/8" flat
circa 1920s
Part of a Series of Rocking Cards
Boy and Girl on See-Saw
made in Germany
Folding Rocker

No Text.

Figure under Blooming Tree
with paper puff rosette
Made in Germany
circa 1910s