According to legend, the first valentine was sent by St. Valentine himself. As the story goes, the 3rd century Roman priest was imprisoned by the pagan Emperor Claudius II for secretly performing marriages (the emperor believed that single men were more likely to join the army).

On the eve of his execution, Feb. 14, A.D. 270, the priest sent a note to the jailer's daughter signed "from your Valentine."

But it took a while for the practice to catch on.

During the Middle Ages, it was popular for sweethearts to exchange romantic verses — but these were mostly spoken or sung. The first written verses began to appear in the 1400s.

Historians trace the first valentine, as we know them, to Charles, the Duke of Orleans. While imprisoned in the Tower of London, the nobleman passed time by writing romantic verses to his wife in France. Some 60 of the duke's poems are in the British Museum's collection.

By the 16th century, as it became traditional for friends and lovers to exchange gifts and notes on the 14th of February, written valentines became widespread throughout England and other European countries.

In the early 1700s, valentine "writers" began to show up. These publications contained a collection of verses and sentiments that could be copied onto decorated sheets of paper. As these "writers" were imported from England, valentine cards began to appear in America, although they did not become widely popular until around the Civil War.

Early handmade valentines incorporated a variety of techniques. Pinprick valentines, for example, were decorated by pricking tiny holes in paper with a pin so it resembled lace. Lacy-looking cards were also made by folding paper several times and then cutting out a lace design with scissors.

Also popular were acrostic valentines with verses and sentiments written so that the first letter of each line spelled the recipient's name. Rebus valentines used puzzles in which little pictures took the place of words — an eye for an "i," for example.

In the early 1800s, valentines began to be mass produced — assembled by workers in factories, who combined pictures with lace and ribbons, and later on paper lace, to create the cards.

With the printing advances that came in the Victorian era, valentines became inexpensive and readily available and truly came into their own.

Valentine verses of yesteryear

Snip! Snap! My heart's in two.

The larger half belongs to you.

I'm a bachelor, Cupid, as you can see,