ST. LOUIS — A Vintage Valentine comes your way on this week's Vintage KSDK.
February 12, 1968, film from the 5 On Your Side archives shows students at Dewey School making home-made Valentines and reading them to Channel 5 reporter Bob Jamieson.
"I love you. Be my Valentine," read one student.
Also on that day, Head Start students visited St. Louis City Hall and presented then-mayor A.J. Cervantes with a cardboard Valentine.
But the highlight of Jamieson's assignment came during a visit to the downtown office of a telegram company.
"For a little more than half a dollar Wednesday, you can send a shiver of delight along the spine of your sweetheart," said Jamieson in his report.
Singing telegrams were all the rage and the operators at Western Union's downtown office were busy delivering them.
One operator sang, "If you will be my valentine, I promise to be true. I hope you'll be my Valentine because I’m in love with you."
Customers could send one of five songs to their sweethearts. And there were more traditional gifts too.
According to Jamieson, "Western Union also features a record called a melody gram and a box of candy curiously enough called the Candy Gram and dolls, flowers, perfumes."
Still popular: pre-written verses customers could send via telegram.
Jamieson wrapped up his report by reading one, saying, "Darling Valentine, this is sent in your direction with all my love and my affection. This is Bob Jamieson at the Hearts and Arrows corner of the Western Union Telegram Center.”