Victorian Valentine Fan

15th February 2014

An elaborate fan, of machine cut paper lace, was the Valentine message sent by J. Malcolm Allan’s grandfather to his sweetheart in 1889.  The couple married in 1890, and until it was gifted to the Smith in 2002, the Valentine fan was a family treasure.  More versatile than a card,

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Sailor’s Valentine, Black History Month

30th October 2013

This is a very good example of a sailor’s valentine of the 1850s in the Stirling Smith collections. It is currently one of the objects highlighted for Black History Month. Sailor’s valentines were made from tiny sea shells arranged in interesting patterns and encased in octagonal glazed boxes. Tradition has

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Stirling Stories 2013

Celebrating Valentine’s Day in Stirling

5th April 2013

Tomorrow is St. Valentine’s Day, and Stirling, branded in recent years as ‘Scotland’s Heart’, is the place to be. This mass – produced post card of the Wallace Monument, enveloped in a heart of forget – me – nots dates to the early 1900s and is in the Stirling Smith

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