What is special about the one large case is that it features valentine cards and related valentine artwork all designed by famous Tamaqua artist John G. Scott. Scott created the artwork for over 2,500 valentines produced by the Gibson Card Company during his nearly thirty year career as a commercial artist from 1924 to 1953. John G. Scott’s valentine designs are distinctive, but some have changed over the years. Scott’s designs almost always featured rosy-cheeked, big eyed children with long eye lashes and some included cute animals. Some cards were adorned with flocking, fabric or feathers. The artwork and printing were always high quality and the colors were always muted pastels. In addition to standard style cards, Gibson also produced stand-up cards, fold-outs, mechanical and postcards using Scott’s artwork. Scott also designed similar cards for all the other holidays throughout the year for Gibson, He also did work for others designing magazine covers, book covers, and the artwork on the front of Cream of Wheat boxes. In addition to being a commercial artist, Tamaqua’s John G. Scott was a well respected Pennsylvania State Legislator and spent forty years as the Administrator of Coaldale State General Hospital. The Scott valentines on display are part of a much larger collection of other Scott artwork in the Tamaqua Historical Society collection which will go on permanent display later this year in the new Museum Annex and Gallery.
In addition to the Scott valentines featured in the “Art of Love’ exhibit currently at the Tamaqua Museum, a second upright case is filled with many beautiful and varied styles of ornate vintage valentines covering the period of around 1890 through the 1960s. Some were made in the United States, other were made in France, and Germany.
The Tamaqua Area Historical Museum is keeping winter hours right now through the end of March which are Thursday and Friday evening from 5 to 8 and Sundays from 12 to 3, other times by appointment by calling Dale at 610-597-6722 or email at dalefreud@gmail.com.
