Dundee’s Valentines card company remembered with recently unearthed photographs

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Dundee’s iconic Valentines card company is set to be featured in a new V&A exhibition. Recently unearthed photos and images will be used to showcase the family firm’s huge impact across Scotland.

The free exhibition tells the story of J. Valentine & Sons - the country’s most pioneering and successful commercial photographers best known for popularising the holiday postcard.Founded in 1825 in Dundee, the family firm Valentines capitalised on rapid developments in photography, printing and tourism in the early 20th century to become one of the city’s largest employers.‘Sincerely, Valentines - From Postcards to Greetings Cards’ will feature original photographs that have never been exhibited before, alongside printing plates, historic postcards, promotional company magazines, booklets and greetings cards from the James Valentine Photographic Collection, a unique archive held at University of St Andrews Libraries and Museums.Central to the exhibition is new work from designer Maeve Redmond who has created a series of oversized postcards in response to the vast Valentines archive print collection.It will also feature a new film by Rob Kennedy focusing on the stories and experiences of those who worked for Valentines, highlighting the important contribution Valentines made to Dundee’s social, cultural and industrial heritage.With support from the Valentine family and following two public call outs, more than 40 families with Valentines' connections came forward.These important oral histories uncover stories such as the crucial role women played in the life of the factory and what it was like to work for the family-owned firm.Interviewees include Frances Connor, who started to work in the Valentines Finishing Department in