Harvard and its alumni, parents, and friends have helped set the scene for countless Harvard love stories and have enabled thousands of students and faculty to follow their passions in classrooms, libraries, and laboratories across campus.
Explore Harvard's history of love through letters, games, and valentines from our library collections.
Paul and Julia Child's Valentine's Day card from 1959. The photo was taken by Paul Child and copyright belongs to the Julia Child Foundation. Citation: Schlesinger Library, Radcliffe Institute, Harvard University.
From the papers of Anna Kelton Wiley (1877-1964), a valentine depicting a young boy offering his heart to a young girl. Citation: Anna Kelton Wiley Papers. Schlesinger Library, Radcliffe College
“You dazzled me. There is nothing in the world so beautiful and delicate.” A love letter from John Keats to Fanny Brawne, the woman who inspired many of his most famous poems, on October 11, 1819. Keats wrote this letter from the gardens at Westminister Abbey. Citation: MS Keats 1.66. Presented by Arthur A. Houghton, Jr., 1952
From the papers of Elizabeth Blodgett Hall, a graduate of Radcliffe Institution in 1946. This image depicts four children on a snowy valentine's day. Citation: Elizabeth Blodgett Hall Papers. Schlesinger Library, Radcliffe Institute, Harvard University.
“I love you with my whole heart, and long for your love in return.” A love letter that John Nolen wrote his future wife, Barbara Schatte, around the time they were engaged in October 1894. The couple met in 1889 at a meeting of a Sunday reading group. Citation: Nolen Family Papers. Schlesinger Library, Radcliffe Institute, Harvard University
Playing cards from a 1820's Parlor Game. Each hand played includes a male card, which poses a question and can be answered (positively or negatively) by the interchangeable female cards. Citation: EC8.A100.820p. Houghton Library, Harvard University
This rose, which opens to a poem, is part of a collection of 39 cards. The collection was created between 1850-1860 and is mostly made with watercolor and ink. Citation: Anna Kelton Wiley Papers. Schlesinger Library, Radcliffe College
From the papers of Anna Kelton Wiley (1877-1964). A valentine depicting a young girl dropping hearts out of a basket. Citation: Anna Kelton Wiley Papers. Schlesinger Library, Radcliffe College.