The History of the Sailor’s Valentine

The popular lore about the sailor’s valentine origins is that it was created by sailors during idle hours on whaling ships during the 1800’s for their loved ones. The sailor’s valentine was actually created on the island of Barbados where ships stopped for supplies on long voyages. Sailor’s bought the valentines to bring home as souvenirs.

A real sailor’s valentine looks like a giant locket. It was made out of a collage of shells to look like a flower design with hearts and a special verse or message. They were framed in octagonal wooden boxes with two sides. They had a hinge that would close the glass and shell inside together with a heart shaped lock to protect them for travel.