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Vintage valentines from the Pope House in Raleigh

These vintage valentines from Pope House Museum help us understand the lives of one of Raleigh’s most prominent African American families and our city’s history.

February 13, 2025 • 
Allie Remhof
Two side-by-side vintage valentines. The right one says "To my sweetheart, even an airplane is much too slow to tell you that I love you so!". The left valentine says "Just boiling over with love for you."

These valentines from the Pope House date back to nearly 100 years ago.

Photos provided by City of Raleigh Historic Resources and Museum Program and the Dr. M.T. Pope House Museum Collection

The Pope House was built in 1901, and its 7,000+ artifacts story the lives of one of Raleigh’s most prominent African American families, including a set of vintage valentines.

Experts aren’t sure if these valentines were sent to or from the Pope family, and the cards have a cute rhyming scheme, similar to modern valentines.

Artifacts like these help uncover more about Raleigh’s history — and the US. Explore more from the Pope House Museum + the City of Raleigh’s various collections using its online database, including more vintage valentines. Plus, these materials are free to access by the public if you want to learn more.

Psst... if you want to see some Raleigh-inspired valentines, check out our Instagram page. True love means driving through both beltlines.

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