Knot of Love at History Center

The Vermont History Center at 60 Washington Street is not your usual place to declare unending love, but starting after February 9th, a popular early nineteenth-century custom for expressing the whims of the heart will be on display in the Community Room.

A whimsical watercolor and ink token of love made in Guilford, Vermont in November 1818 was given to the Vermont Historical Society recently from the collection of Milton Crouch―librarian, scholar, and collector formerly from Burlington. This historic treasure displays complex patterns of green and red circles, squares, and hearts surrounded by intricate calligraphy. Crouch’s gift continues the long tradition at the Historical Society of librarians generously contributing to the preservation of Vermont’s cultural heritage.  “It’s interesting to see how customs such as these evolve,” noted Historical Society Curator, Jackie Calder. These love knots, which are intricate pieces of calligraphy, were sometimes given as marriage proposals, and other times created as a reply to the proposal.

The nineteenth-century artifact will be on display along with selections from our collection of vintage valentine cards Tuesday through Friday 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Wednesdays 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., and the second Saturday each month 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.