University of Brighton professor explores the dark side of romance through Victorian “Vinegar Valentines” cards

Professor Annebella Pollen will be exploring the satirical cards, popular in the 19th century, which were designed to deliver anonymous insults and ridicule to unwanted admirers, offering a stark contrast to today's romantic celebrations.

Professor Pollen has been researching these biting, satirical, and often cruel cards that were exchanged in the past as part of her work as Professor in Visual and Material Culture at the University of Brighton School of Humanities and Social Science.

Unlike the heartfelt romantic valentine’s messages of recent times, Vinegar Valentines were designed to mock, reject, and ridicule their recipients—often in brutally direct ways.

Vinegar valentine's card, c1875. Brighton & Hove Royal Pavilion & Museums

For example, an unwanted suitor might receive a card showing them receiving a bucket of cold water in the face. Through cruel caricature and mocking verse, a sharp-tongued woman might be described as ‘nasty old cat, and many things a deal ruder than that’ – an example from an 1880s card.

Originally sold cheaply in markets and stationers’ shops, these cards were popular across Britain and America, offering a way to send anonymous insults to unwanted admirers, bad bosses, or annoying neighbours. Some were even so cruel they caused scandal.

Annebella said: “I was astonished by them and couldn't believe that such a tradition existed. These cards were the anti-Valentines of their time. They featured crude illustrations and harsh words, taking aim at everything from someone’s appearance to their profession. While some were light-hearted, many were deeply offensive by today’s standards.

“I was intrigued as it didn't fit with commonly held ideas about Victorians being polite and uptight. They showed a very different side of Valentine's Day. It turned a day of love into a day of spite. They show that the impulse to insult is a very longstanding habit. It is not something unique to our own times or to trolls on modern-day social media. Perhaps the old days were not the good old days after all?”

Professor Pollen’s research highlights how these cards reflect the social attitudes of their time, revealing past anxieties about gender roles, class, and even fashion. With modern Valentine’s traditions focused on love and admiration, the existence of Vinegar Valentines is a reminder that not everyone has always been in the mood for romance.

Professor Annebella Pollen is giving a public talk on Brutal Valentines in Brighton on Thursday 20 February at West Pier Trust. You can book your place here.