Vintage photos of Valentine's Day celebrations

Hundreds of couples arrive in the small French town of Saint-Valentin to take part in the Feast of St. Valentine in 1968. A special ceremony takes place in the town each year involving newly-engaged couples. They take part in a procession followed by a mass at the local church, after which the couples are blessed.

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New York, 1982 -

Two legends of music and film, Sammy Davis Jr. and Peter O' Toole, meet at Regine's nightclub in New York on Valentine's Day in 1982.

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Washington, D.C., 1945 -

Private first class Dorothy LeRoy of the US Army poses for a Valentine's Day photo shoot in 1945.

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Boston, 1988 -

A Boston photographer captured the moment that local father, Herb Levine, gave his two-year-old daughter, Anniebeth, her Valentine's Day balloon.

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Toronto, 1989 -

On February 14, 1989, 12 couples got married at a Toronto court house at the same time!

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North Yorkshire, 1975 -

A happy couple from North East England proudly celebrated their 50th Valentine's Day together in 1975.

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Denver, 1976 -

High-school students from Denver hosted a Valentine's Day lunch for a group of senior citizens, including a buffet, Valentine's cards, and a serenade!

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Palm Springs, 1983 -

Frank Sinatra is photographed with Angie Dickinson and Gerald Ford at his annual "Frank and His Friends Valentine's Day Love In" party.

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Los Angeles, 1958 -

An excited young couple sign their marriage license at the court house on Valentine's Day 1958.

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Chicago, 1943 -

The Valentine's Day chocolate window display at the famous American department store Marshall's was captured in 1943.

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New England, ca. 1900 -

A group of young children from New England enjoy a Valentine's Day party at the turn of the 20th century. The room is decorated with hearts and images of St. Valentine.

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Unknown, 1958 -

A woman working for Kaye's Kards attaches mini handcuffs to Valentine's Day greeting cards with the message "To My Prisoner of Love."

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New York, 1980 -

For this outrageously retro celebration, roller-skaters dressed in red and white hit the rink at the Roxy Roller Disco in New York on Valentine's Day 1980.

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London, 1980 -

As part of a Valentine's Day publicity event called Love on Wheels, the famous car Herbie from 'The Love Bug' film series pays a visit to Paddington Station in London. An actress leans out of the car and kisses the train driver.

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Washington, D.C., 1986 -

First Lady Nancy Reagan peruses the greeting card section at a local shop near the White House, accompanied by her dog, Rex.

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Denver, 1979 -

A high-school student donates blood as part of a Valentine's Day blood drive organized by his school. The event was called "Have a Heart, Give Blood and Save a Heart Program."

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USA, 1955 -

Two little girls browse the Valentine's Day greeting cards at a market stall in 1955.

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Los Angeles, 1958 -

A little boy picks out a Valentine's Day card for his mom accompanied by his dog, Yogi.

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Paris, 1938 -

A man buys roses arranged in the shape of a heart from a Parisian florist on Valentine's Day 1938.

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New York, 1988 -

The LGBT community in New York staged a "kiss-in" protest in front of St. Patrick's Cathedral on Valentine's Day 1988. The protest was in response to the Catholic church's stance on violence towards members of their community.

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London, 1931 -

Four ladies were photographed in their ballgowns before attending the St Valentine's Eve Ball at London's Savoy Hotel in 1931.

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USA, 1973 -

American singer and teen idol Donny Osmond sits in bed surrounded by thousands of Valentine's Day cards he received in 1973.

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New York, 1978 -

Actress Gilda Radner, journalist Mary Welsh Hemingway, and model Margaux Hemingway enjoy the Valentine's Day party at the infamous Studio 54 nightclub in New York.

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Paris, 1958 -

Multiple winners of a Valentine's Day best couples competition are photographed the city hall in Paris. Unfortunately the winner of the "fiancés of the year" prize is alone as her husband-to-be is a soldier away fighting in Algeria.

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New York, 1978 -

Eartha Kitt shows off a heart-shaped box of chocolates sent to her by an admirer backstage at her Broadway show 'Timbuktu.'

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England, 1964 -

The secretary of the Beatles fan club sits surrounded by the numerous Valentine's Day cards and posters sent in by the band's loving fans.

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New York, 1952 -

A 23-year-old Audrey Hepburn poses for a Valentine's Day photo shoot with a frilly heart and cupid's arrow in 1952.

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USA, ca. 1960 -

Two school girls show off the Valentine's Day cards they're making for their classmates.

Sources: (Britannica) (History)

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Vintage photos of Valentine's Day celebrations

Discover how Valentine's Day was celebrated in the past

12/02/21 | StarsInsider

LIFESTYLE Romance

The Feast of St. Valentine has been celebrated since the Middle Ages, but the day of romance filled with chocolates and flowers is a more recent phenomenon. The martyred St. Valentine became the saint of love, and Pope Gelasius I replaced the pagan fertility festival of Lupercalia with St. Valentine's Day.

People began to share Valentine's Day messages of love in the 1500s, and formal printed Valentine's Day cards appeared in the 1700s. From the 19th century onwards the whole thing snowballed to include proposals, mass marriages, and match-making festivals, and today Valentine's Day is celebrated by everyone from school children to nursery home residents.

Let's take a look at how Valentine's Day has been celebrated in different countries over the past century through these rare vintage photos. Click through the gallery to get started!