From the Islander Newspaper:
Romance is at the heart of a new activity at the the Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum in Sanibel.
A Sailors’ Valentine board has been located in the museum lobby. It’s a 19th century interest when sailors returning from sea adventures gifted a wood box of small shells glued in heart or compass patterns. Historic boxes today are worth big dollars to souvenir collectors, and Valentine boxes draw big crowds at a Bailey-Matthews shell fair each year, mostly because of the area’s reputation.
The Valentine project at the Bailey-Matthews is the brainchild of Sanibel artist Pamela Boynton, whose work has appeared on a national stamp and who has shellwork at the museum. Bill Jordan of Fort Myers built the box that is about the size of a 500-piece stopsign-shaped puzzle.
– See more at: http://www.sanibel-captiva-islander.com/page/content.detail/id/524271/Love-is-the-focus-of-Sanibel-shell-exhibit.html?nav=5051#sthash.22ccZCUp.dpuf
