A stout man has an inflated torso with "GOLD $100,000,000" written across it. The border features a woman embracing; the pair resemble Commedia dell'arate characters. At the bottom is a pack of matches marked "Lucifer's matches.", Text: The man who is made of money / Need never be pleasant nor funny, / Nor handsome, nor winsome, nor good, / Nor with piety deeply imbued. / He may go through the world as he pleases, / Caring not how he elbows and squeezes; / He may duty despise or forget; / He may bluster and bully; and yet / Folks will say he's as sweet as honey-- / Because he is made of money., Provenance: McAllister, John A. (John Allister), 1822-1896, collector.
A woman has a codfish for a head and wears a gown. She holds out a slip of paper and a fan. "Cod-fish aristocracy" was a derogatory term for New Englanders whose family wealth originated in maritime businesses., Text: Fair dame, your fishery portrait here you see, / One of the Codfish Aristocra-she; [prouder / Lest your soup-erior wealth should make you / I leave you to the friends of Codfish Chowder., Provenance: McAllister, John A. (John Allister), 1822-1896, collector.
A drunken Union soldier holds onto a pole and stands in front of a restaurant., Text: My friend, your picture here you see, / A patriotic warlike Soldier, yes, sir'ee! / You love your country, and are its sworn defender, / But love your cocktails, and glory in a bender. / With an army as you to fight, to slaughter, / Jeff. Davis need not fear on land or water., Provenance: McAllister, John A. (John Allister), 1822-1896, collector.
The cavalryman sits on a much smaller horse and holds his sword out in front of him. The valentine mocks his gluttony., Text: With sword just like a carving knife / As I'm a living sinner / You look just like a hungry man / A charging on good dinner., Provenance: McAllister, John A. (John Allister), 1822-1896, collector.
A man clings to a steam train's chimney with a frowning human face. Another man holds a flag in the background. The valentine possibly comments on sexual ethics., Text: Over the break-necks fiendlike plunging, / Car'less what ill you may entail, / If you are not cautious with your engine, / We'll ride you on ANOTHER RAIL!, Cf. 3.36., Provenance: McAllister, John A. (John Allister), 1822-1896, collector.
A woman screams as the Devil embraces and kisses her cheek., Text: Alas! that love, so gentle in his view, / Should be so tyrannous and rough in proof!.. / And gentle maid, when Love shall come to you, / You'll know him by his horns and cloven hoof., Provenance: McAllister, John A. (John Allister), 1822-1896, collector.
The chaplain stands between two kneeling soldiers and takes currency from their rucksacks., Text: A pretty man of God are you! / You claim to have an eye of faith, / But have a stronger eye for booty, / When soldiers all are at their prayers, / You go on Pick-et duty., Provenance: McAllister, John A. (John Allister), 1822-1896, collector.
A woman wears a dress with a bustle and a hat with a small veil. The woman leans forward in the Grecian Bend, caused by fashionable restrictive, bustled gowns. The Grecian Bend style of bustle became popular after 1869., Text: You're not so bad looking as some I know, / You're not so ill mannered as others I know, / And you generally make a respectable show; / But you're deficient in brains, I'm sorry to say, / Because you dress in such a ridiculous way, / And consider the Bend such a gorgeous array., Provenance: McAllister, John A. (John Allister), 1822-1896, collector.
The glazier carries a lattice and panes of glass on his back and says, "Shall I put it in? Marm.", Text: With brain made of Putty and body of Glass, / That each one may see thro' a contemtible [i.e. contemptible] ass; / Saluting each window with leecherous grin, / And asking each female "may I put it in?" / By such a proceeding now what would she gain / For you're only to put in a PANE? / Your deeds are transparent, so pray you incline, / To MEND if you can, my dull Valentine., Provenance: McAllister, John A. (John Allister), 1822-1896, collector.
A woman holds a knife and a book marked "Tragedy." Her gown is trimmed with ermine and torn. The border shows cupids and hearts; one cupid shoots a heart out of a thimble cannon labeled "Love"; another cupid travels with a heart in a hot-air balloon; and another cupid hammers at a cracked heart below a heart on a fishhook labeled "Caught." Charlotte Cushman was a prominent actress in the nineteeth century., Text: Who are you, rampaging stranger / Who upon our sense burst? / Lady Macbeth courting danger / Mid the "murrderrerrs accurrst?" / Cleopatra? Charlotte Cushman? / Or old Hamlet's awful queen? / Or some wild outlandish bushman / Half-way girl and boy between? / Decked as you as with ermine skin and bloody/ dagger, / A pretty waiter-girl you'd make to serve out / Lager., Provenance: McAllister, John A. (John Allister), 1822-1896, collector.
A fireman holds up a fire trumpet and stands next to a bucket. His mouth is opened to shout., Text: The fireman's duty is a noble cause, / Gains heaven's good-will and honest men's applause; / But soon it will be brough to much discredit / If they allow such men as you to head it., Provenance: McAllister, John A. (John Allister), 1822-1896, collector.
A woman sits with her hands folded and her head down., Text: Oh! I can't think of you, my dear little darling, / You're all the time fawning, and fretting, and snarling; / So take my advice, now, and don't be forgetting, / Youl'll not get a husband, my charmer, by fretting., Provenance: McAllister, John A. (John Allister), 1822-1896, collector.
A woman stands between two men. She wears a large-skirted gown that reveals her ankles and blocks the men's path. To have "two strings in one's bow" means to have more than one option., Text: Daily you lose your modesty, / And some new freak of fastness try, / Allow me here then to suggest / The vulgar style that suits you best, / Young Ladies think it is the go / To have two strings unto their bow; / But I'll teach you a faster thing, / To have two beaus unto your string!, Provenance: McAllister, John A. (John Allister), 1822-1896, collector.
A young woman dances with a donkey. The sender criticizes the recipient's lover., Text: A gift for thee my gifted one, / In truth I send to thee; / A plight of everlasting truth, / As pure as love can be. / Yet love hath likings, as we know, / From the cradle to the tomb, / Now having sent my compliments; / Make love to your Buffoon., Provenance: McAllister, John A. (John Allister), 1822-1896, collector.
A Union Zouave soldier holds his rifle on his shoulder. Chicken heads peak out from his pants, suggesting that "hens" means "women" in the text., Text: My Zouave is a pretty bird, / He wears a bushy tail; / He never missed secessia's hens, / When one upon their trail. / But now he's gone to / A long way from the snore [i.e., shore], / Where he can never hook the hens, / He gaily hooked before., Provenance: McAllister, John A. (John Allister), 1822-1896, collector.
A woman holds out a pocket watch and ribbons. The border shows cupids and hearts; one cupid shoots a heart out of a thimble cannon labeled "Love"; another cupid travels with a heart in a hot-air balloon; and another cupid hammers at a cracked heart below a heart on a fishhook labeled "Caught.", Text: I know you, ma'am, your itching palm, / 'Mong ribbons and 'mong laces, / With artful play is wont to stray / In all the dry-goods places. / Of diamond rings, and such-like things / Likewise a skilful sifter, / You'd better cease, ere the police / Proclaim you a shop-lifter., Provenance: McAllister, John A. (John Allister), 1822-1896, collector.
The colonel wears a green jacket and red pants, and his uniform is neither Union nor Confederate. He wears a disproportionally long sword in a scabbard and stands in front of a writing desk. He has long sideburns and a thick moustache., Text: When perched on your charger on dress parade / You look as brave soldier as ever was made / If you look but as brave when bullets fly / You Country will love you and so will I., Provenance: McAllister, John A. (John Allister), 1822-1896, collector.
The literary man sits at a table. His nose is dark (from drinking?) and he cradles his head with a hand holding a quill. In one corner of the table is a spike with papers through it (i.e., bills?) and on the other corner is a book titled Webster (i.e., Webster's Dictionary?). His trashcan is full, and the valentine suggests that it is difficult for him to write and what he does write is of low quality., Text: With slipshod feet, and coat with elbows out, / You daily sit, and with your scribbling quill, / Indite strange tales and trashy stuff, with which / Poor idle maids their simple minds may fill., Provenance: McAllister, John A. (John Allister), 1822-1896, collector.
The valentine shows a racist image of an African American man playing a banjo. The valentine praises his music, but mocks his appearance and racial background., Text: Your notes of instrument and voice / Are the sweetest I've e'er heard, / And with your shape would make me judge / In truth, you were a black-bird., Provenance: McAllister, John A. (John Allister), 1822-1896, collector.
The valentine depicts a woman sewing a pair of breeches with a pile of completed breeches next to her. The border features a woman embracing a man; the pair resemble Commedia dell'arte characters. At the bottom is a pack of matches marked "Lucifer's matches.", Text: Hard is thy lot, my honey dear / On soldier's pantaloons aye working, / And yet this thought is so funny, dear, / Within my wicked mind is lurking / Far fitter you than cannon balls / Breaches to make in fortress walls., Provenance: McAllister, John A. (John Allister), 1822-1896, collector.
A buck-toothed woman holds a rolling pin over a man's head, and the image resembles a "Punch and Judy" puppet show., Text: Who will marry such a termagant wife, The plague of her own poor husband's life? / Who distorts all her features with anger and rage, / Yet can't tell the reason why, I'll engage. / To others I such charms resign, You ne'er can be my Valen[tine]., Provenance: McAllister, John A. (John Allister), 1822-1896, collector.
The valentine shows a woman entering a carriage and a man standing behind. Her crinoline pulls up her skirt, hitting the man in the head and revealing her legs to him., Text: Go in, my dear-- go it with a rush, / And never mind the hat; / It is not often that I see / So big a leg as that., Provenance: McAllister, John A. (John Allister), 1822-1896, collector.
The school-mistress holds a rod and a pamphlet of the alphabet in her hands. She stands next to a bench with a fool's cap on it., Text: Mistress of fools-cap, rod rule, / None better than thyself to teach the school; / For education forms the common mind, / And with a twig, you drive it in behind., Provenance: McAllister, John A. (John Allister), 1822-1896, collector.
A Union soldier holds a rifle with a bayonet while embracing an African-American woman. His actions cause the woman to spill the liquid in the bottle she carries on a platter. Her dress is turned up to reveal her crinoline and legs. Behind them, an African American man holds his fist up., Text: You nasty, Black Republican, / To hug the sooty African, / How sweet to you her stench must seem, / When the day Star reigns reigns surpreme; -- / That she's your equal in your creed, / To Niggerdom then quickly speed, / For such a filthy kin to swine / Shall never be my Valentine., Provenance: McAllister, John A. (John Allister), 1822-1896, collector.
The valentine shows a Union officer holding his sword out of its scabbard. There is a cannon ball near his foot., Text: My valiant gory son of Mars, / The way I love is a sin; / If you want me, the Stripes and Stars / Defend, and then go in and win., Provenance: McAllister, John A. (John Allister), 1822-1896, collector.
A woman's walking dress reveals her legs and her crinoline. The verse mocks the structure of crinoline, which resembled a cage. She wears black boots, a blue coat, and red cap., Text: Behold her pompous, lofty stride, / With her boots, and hoops ten feet wide; / We'll step aside and let her pass, / A bladder filled with wind or gas, / A petticoat made like a cage: / The monster is so huge in size, / And her dress sticks so far out! / The whirling winds now fill her sail., Cf. 2.32., Provenance: McAllister, John A. (John Allister), 1822-1896, collector.
A Union soldier carries a drum. A crow flies above him., Text: Admiration of the boys-- / In this world you'll make a noise; / But it has been said by some, / That your head is like your drum-- / Plenty of sound and plenty of brass, / And carried by a perfect ass., Provenance: McAllister, John A. (John Allister), 1822-1896, collector.
The schoolmaster sits in a chair and holds a sign that reads "ABC" and points to it with a pointer. One child stands behind his chair and wears a dunce cap, and another child stands in front of him., Text: Don't frighten your scholars with rap-rap-rap -- / But reserve for yourself the black dunce cap; / Seat your own self on the three-legged stool, / The only fit place for a pedagogue fool! / Hie thee, young Dominic!-- back to you school! / And teach the young dunces with blackboards and rule; / Don't mutter base nonsense to them as to me, / But contented remain at your A,B,C., Provenance: McAllister, John A. (John Allister), 1822-1896, collector.
A man on ice skates has one foot off the ground. His hat has fallen off. The border shows cupids and hearts; one cupid shoots a heart out of a thimble cannon labeled "Love"; another cupid travels with a heart in a hot-air balloon; and another cupid hammers at a cracked heart below a heart on a fishhook labeled "Caught.", Text: Dame nature thus has well decreed, / "Fools go where wise men fear to tread;" / You've lost your hat-- and dropp'd your weed, / Go home before you lose your head. / A head which though 'tis not much used, / Except to hang a hat, or nod; / By mortal should not be abused, / E'en cabbage-heads are works of God., Provenance: McAllister, John A. (John Allister), 1822-1896, collector.
The miser is thin with pointed features. He pushes coins into a pile and holds a bag. A small dog stands in front of his table., Text: You starve your own body, and would if you wed, / Dress your wife in but rags, all the while, / The whole of your care, through your miserly life, / Is to add a few cents to your pile., Provenance: McAllister, John A. (John Allister), 1822-1896, collector.
A woman wears a low-cut gown and pulls up her skirt so that it reveals her petticoats and ankles. Her face is shaded to suggest rouge and lip coloring. Her holds her thumb to her nose in a disrespectful gesture., Text: Your conduct in loud accents speaks, / That nought can bring shame's blush to cheeks / So hard as your's, -- what shame, alas! / That in your face you've so much brass., Provenance: McAllister, John A. (John Allister), 1822-1896, collector.
A large soldier wears a large plumed hat and a blue jacket decorated with flowers and a sash. He carries a sword., Text: What man is he that loveth not renown; / Out on him for a booby or a clown! / Fortune and women love the soldier brave, / But love not him who'd be a willing slave. / For me thou art the man brave soldier mine, / And I accept thee for my Valentine., "104", Provenance: McAllister, John A. (John Allister), 1822-1896, collector.
The counter jumper sits at desk and writes in a ledger. Ledgers marked "Cash" and "day" are on a shelf above his desk, and some of the letters face the wrong direction. The sender mocks the recipient's inflated sense of self-worth as a ladies' man., Text: Behind the counter, like an ape, / You grin and measure off your tape, / And put on winning ways, / While the ladies laugh aside, / At your folly and your pride, / And scorn your silly praise. / You think that every lady is inclin'd / To take you for her Valentine., Provenance: McAllister, John A. (John Allister), 1822-1896, collector.
The picture shows a simian-headed Irishman riding a pig. He holds a "shillelah" or cudgel. "Crubeen" are fried pigs' feet. The text compares the Irishman's appearance with that of the pig., Arrah, Patrick, my boy, now, and where are you jigging? / Where would you be after just driving the pig in? With such a shillelah, why, truly, and really, / You ride to the devil, dear Paddy, all gaily. / Don't you see how the crubeen is bone of thy bone-- / How his snout, master Paddy, resembles your own? / By the hod! to your liking I ne'er could incline, / Or compelled, why the pig should be Valentine., Provenance: McAllister, John A. (John Allister), 1822-1896, collector.
A Union soldier rides a horse without a bridal and clings to its neck. His feet are out of the stirrups, his cap is off, and his sword is in the air., Text:"Bring forth the steed! the steed was brought," / And on his back to mount you thought; / But don't you think for a Dragoon, / That you commenced almost too soon? / Before you bade the ground good bye, / Why did you not a hobby try?, Provenance: McAllister, John A. (John Allister), 1822-1896, collector.
A woman has two faces, both with pox marks. One side smiles and extends a hand, and one frowns and extends a fist. The valentine possibly refers to promiscuity and sexually transmitted diseases., Text: Avaunt! foul tempress! though you show'd a face / As fair as heart of man had ever charmed, / I see another on the other side, / Deceit has wrinkled, passion has deformed., Provenance: McAllister, John A. (John Allister), 1822-1896, collector.
A woman carries a tiny parasol and wears a gown with a hoop skirt and furbelows., Text: This, truly, is the age of all things new, / For even women grown, and young maids too, / Believe not now in either Heart or Head, / But in the size to which their hoops may spread., Provenance: McAllister, John A. (John Allister), 1822-1896, collector.
The valentine features a man in uniform with a cannon for his head. A wheel rests behind his back, and he holds a lit cord in this hand. The border features matches, a heart-shaped beet, and cherubs playing tennis and tug o' war. The label on the matchbox reads "Red-headed matches go off easy," and the beet is marked "D.B." [i.e. "dead beat" or "dead beet"]., Text: Are you primed and loaded / My bold gunner? / If you only "knowed it" / You're a stunner. / Blow a cloud of smoke / From your muzzle-- / Why it don't you choke / Is a puzzle., Provenance: McAllister, John A. (John Allister), 1822-1896, collector.
A man driving a carriage and says, " Don't I feel nobby now I keeps my own carriage?" "Nobby" is slang for smart or elegant., Text: They say you feel so proud of heart, / Because you keep a donkey cart; / One thing tho' you should bear in mind, / "Fellow feeling makes us kind," / Therefore you sometimes might change places / With the Donkey in the traces., Provenance: McAllister, John A. (John Allister), 1822-1896, collector.
A man holding a trowel lays bricks. The valentine urges the recipient to amend his behavior so that he will not be considered "shabby," or someone who plays mean tricks., Text: If you aint the best of good fellows, / Or constantly up to your tricks, / I think you'll be put down as shabby, / Though you're daily surrounded with Bricks., "31", Provenance: McAllister, John A. (John Allister), 1822-1896, collector.
The clerk wears a coat and trousers. He sits on a tall stool at a tall desk, and his feet hang far from the floor., Text: To count the dollars, cents, and mills, / For that alone you're fit, / Devoid of common decency, / Or any show of wit. / Think you I'd hug a man's effigy, / Or to his love incline? / I'd sooner court a bag of mush, / To be my Valentine., Provenance: McAllister, John A. (John Allister), 1822-1896, collector.
The miserly woman looks over shoulder. Her hands rest on a pile of gold coins, and money bags "3000" and "50,000" sit on the table beside her., Text: Trembling at each wind that's passing, / Fearing danger to your gold / You've spent all your life amassing; / How your petty soul is sold!, Provenance: McAllister, John A. (John Allister), 1822-1896, collector.
A man wears battle armor made of household objects. He wears a pot as a helmet, brush bristles for epaulets, a lid for a breast plate, and red cannisters over his arms. He carries a broom and a poker from a fire place. Over his pants, he wears crinoline. The valentine satirizes draft dodgers as ridiculous and effeminate., Text: You boast of valor, pluck and grit, / And strong love of the Union -- / You're just the boy to dodge the draft, / And fir for a sneak's communion. / All decent girls view you with scorn, / And treat you with contempt; / When noble men are called for, / You're just fit to be exempt!, Provenance: McAllister, John A. (John Allister), 1822-1896, collector.
A Union Zouave soldier holds a rifle with a bayonet., Text: You're a gay Zoovey Zoo, with that big beard of thine, / But I think from the army you'd better resign; / A few think you're brave, but a great many say / You're sheet-ironed behind, and you will run away. / If such be the case, it's a very bad sign, / And you never will make a tip-top Valentine., "506", Provenance: McAllister, John A. (John Allister), 1822-1896, collector.
The valentine shows the back of a large woman in a cloak. "Museum Hippopotamus / Every Night / Day" is written above her., Text: Mussy on us! what a muss / Here's a Hippopotamus / In a fur cloak right upon us, / Hippopota, mussy on us!, Provenance: McAllister, John A. (John Allister), 1822-1896, collector.
A young man wears boots, a red fireman's shirt, and a stove pipe hat, clothing typical of the Bowery B'hoys, or young men from the Five Points neighborhood in New York City. "De machine" refers to the b'hoys involvement in the city politics. "Mussy" means drunk, and "Gone into the lemons" may mean passed out after drinking alcoholic punch., Text: You know that you're one of the bo'hoys, / And bound to run with de machine; / You take up half of the walk, / And think every one must be green: / You always keep blowing 'bout something, / When you're mussy, you make such a noise, / There's no peace in the crib till you're gone, / Into the lemons--- with some of the bo'hoys., Cf. Valentine 8.9., Provenance: McAllister, John A. (John Allister), 1822-1896, collector.
A cavalry soldier rides a horse with his feet out of the stirrups. He carries a large sword. L. Prang & Co. first appeared in the Boston city directory in 1863., Text: You think yourself both bold and brave, of course, / Whene'er you safely gallop down your line; / Yourself as jaded as your wretched horse, / Who'd have a scarecrow for a Valentine?, "11.", Provenance: McAllister, John A. (John Allister), 1822-1896, collector.
The short book-keeper stands at a large desk. He holds a quill in front of a book. He resembles a horse and wears a patterned jacket, tie, and striped pants, which suggests that he is a dandy. The sender accuses the recipient of dishonesty., Text: You do not cast your figures right, / And false entries, 'tis said you make; / Some day your sins will come to light, / And another man your place will take., Cf. 2.5., Provenance: McAllister, John A. (John Allister), 1822-1896, collector.
A thin Union soldier in a ragged uniform stands entreating a stout Union soldier in a well-kept uniform. The valentine accuses the recipient, a quartermaster, of theft and misappropriation., Text: You fat old cuss, give us our grub, / You have our cash to feed us, / You're paid to keep us in good trim, / And not to sponge and bleed us., Variant of Valentine 8.47., Provenance: McAllister, John A. (John Allister), 1822-1896, collector.
A sailor stands with his eyes closed and his hand in his pocket., Text: You're a sweet looking sailor boy, gallant and bold, / But I'm afraid that for rum you do spend all your gold; / So take my advice, and at once change your tack, / Or your own Valentine will soon give you the sack. / Your nose does proclaim you a regular bloat, / And an odor most poisonous comes from your throat., "529", Provenance: McAllister, John A. (John Allister), 1822-1896, collector.
