Very Rare Large Antique Penny Dreadful / Vinegar Valentine / 1850s - 1890s - A Man-Woman

“A Man-Woman”.

Poor silly creature! do you think,

That when you ape the style of man;

You touch his heart, with half the force,

A smiling, modest, maiden can ?

Of all the sad, repulsive sights,

We see upon the busy street;

An unsexed woman is the worst,

As all agree, when you they meet.

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This is a very rare large antique Penny Dreadful / Vinegar Valentine with 8 lines of verse. Most likely printed in the USA between the 1850s to late 1800s. Sourced from a collection of Vinegar Valentines, all from the same era. The full print is shown in the first photo. Other photo shows details from the print.

Penny Dreadfuls /Vinegar Valentines were a popular phenomenon from the 1840s to the 1940s, although the British Postal Museum has a copy from 1790. Some of the caricatures were drawn by the American cartoonist Charles Howard in the 1870s. The rhymes and drawings were not just amusing, but were also downright cruel, very mean-spirited, and insulting.

Single sheet, toned paper with beautiful patina; some creases on edges. It is very rare to find them in this size and in such good condition, especially since they were usually printed on cheap paper (they used to sell for a penny, hence the name "Penny Dreadful").

The only reference we've seen to a Vinegar Valentine about this size was in the British Postal Museum & Archive Blog, now known as the Postalmuseum.org

Size of sheet: approx. 9 inches x 21.25 inches (23 cm x 54 cm)

This is an original published between the 1850s to late 1800s, not a reproduction! Bananastrudel sells only originals. The Bananastrudel watermark does not appear on the print.

Size of sheet: approx. 9 inches x 21.25 inches (23 cm x 54 cm)

Shipped rolled in a tube.

Note: The politically incorrect material reflects the spirit of the past, and is by no means reflective of our philosophy!