Edwardian Valentine Message Card with Cherub & Pink Roses

Framed inside a red heart trimmed with gold lace, two children — one dark-haired in a white outfit, one lighter-haired sitting on what appears to be a bench or ledge — are sharing flowers in what the 1913 designer clearly intended as adorable courtship but reads more like a hostile negotiation over floral currency. The surrounding riot of pink roses and climbing green vines screams 'romantic bower,' while the verse below helpfully clarifies that this girl's 'dainty bait' has successfully ensnared a heart, because Valentine's Day is apparently best celebrated by describing a child as possessing predatory romantic tactics. John Winsch, the copyright holder, presumably looked at this and thought 'yes, this is fine,' which tells you everything you need to know about 1913.