Cupids, kissing corners, and crafts, oh my! Come celebrate love and make sure to bring your special someone out for a tour of a Victorian house built with romance in mind this February! On Valentine’s weekend (February 14 -16) we will have craft supplies out to make your own Victorian Valentine’s Day card. Free with admission.
Many associate the Victorian Era with chastity and formality. However, with the proliferation of love poems and affectionate gestures of their time, we can see that the Victorians were certainly romantic. Notably, these passions are reflected in Körner’s Folly. From kissing corners to Cupid’s Park Theatre, Jule Körner adorned the Folly with romance galore!
For instance, just take a look at the hand-painted Cupid murals throughout Körner’s Folly, particularly in the third-floor theater, aptly named Cupid’s Park Theatre. Cupids, often associated with Valentine’s Day, was known as the mythological god of love. Jule designed Cupid’s Park Theatre for his wife, Polly Alice, and her Children’s Little Theater Program, called the Juvenile Lyceum.
Cupids in the murals in Cupid’s Park Theatre
Furthermore, the Körner’s were known for hosting romantic parties and weddings in Körner’s Folly over the years. Doré Körner was married on the North Lawn and held her wedding reception on the second floor Reception Room. Decorating the Reception Room are conversation chairs, two and three seat pieces of furniture designed by Jule to allow for private discussion between married couples or a courting couple and their chaperone, respectively.
Dore’s wedding reception at Körner’s Folly.
While Victorians notoriously prohibited public displays of affection, Jule, ever the romantic, designed small alcoves behind the fireplaces (affectionately called “kissing corners”) where young, married couples could enjoy some alone time in the middle of even the busiest of gatherings. Today, the kissing corners can still be seen at Körner’s Folly.
Need some inspiration for what to give your Valentine this year? Here’s the original 1883 Valentine from Jule Körner to his wife Polly Alice. It reads, “With heartfelt Congratulation and best wishes.”
Original 1883 Valentine from Jule Körner to his wife Polly Alice.