While it may be true that our annual celebration of love began as a pagan feast of the flesh in third century Rome, that shouldn’t stop anyone from enjoying this charming collection of Valentine’s Day ephemera. From cards to candy boxes, party favors to ads and more, these classic graphics celebrate the holiday of love during the period of 1900 to the 1960s. You’ll find the pun quotient to be delightfully high, exemplified by such gems as a baker exclaiming, "You're surely well 'bread'" and a bullfighter vowing "Bullieve me—I love you!" To put the imagery in context, Steven Heller’s introductory essay traces the history of Valentine's Day.

The editor: Jim Heimann is Executive Editor for TASCHEN America in Los Angeles and the author of numerous books on architecture, popular culture, and Hollywood history.

The author: Steven Heller, the art director of the New York Times Book Review and co-chair of the School of Visual Arts MFA Design program, is the author of over 90 books on design, popular culture, and satiric art. His recent books include Design Literacy Second Edition, Handwritten: Expressive Lettering in the Digital Age, and The Education of a Graphic Designer.