Esther Howland (1828 – 1904) was an artist and businesswoman who is responsible for popularizing Valentine's Day greeting cards in America.
After her graduation from Mount Holyoke College in 1847, Howland received an ornate English Valentine from a business associate of her father when she was 19 years old.[1] Intrigued with the idea of making similar Valentines, she began her business importing paper lace and floral decorations from England.[2] Her father operated the largest book and stationery story in Worcester, Massachusetts, and ordered supplies for her project. She made a dozen samples which her salesman brother added to his inventory for his next sales trip. Hoping for $200.00 worth of orders, she was elated when he returned with over $5,000 worth of business for her. Howland employed friends and developed a thriving business in Worcester, Massachusetts using an assembly line. Her valentines became renowned throughout the United States and she was called "The Mother of the American Valentine." Her business eventually grossed over $100,000 per year, a considerable sum for that time, and she eventually sold the business in 1881 after many successful years.[1]