Valentine Phantom

The Valentine Phantom often referred to as the Valentine Bandit in media reports, refers to an individual or group who each Valentine's Day secretly decorate the downtown area of the small city of Montpelier - the capital of the U.S. state of Vermont - as well as Portland, Maine, with a flurry of red hearts. The perpetrator(s) remain unknown and speculation about what individual or group decorates the capital city before dawn each February 14 is popular in conversation, and local media, and over the past ten years has emerged as an example of vernacular culture. The term "bandit" is a misnomer as no law is broken, nothing is stolen or removed but the reverse occurs: valentines "appear." In fact, the perpetrator of the hearts leaves poems signed "The Valentine Phantom." "Bandit" is a term mistakenly used by the local press.

The earliest known occurence of this phenomena, referred to as the Valentine's Phantom, has occurred since 1976 in Portland, Maine. The first Valentine's Phantom struck in 1976 in Portland, which garnered reports in the newspapers the Evening Express and the Maine Sunday Telegram.

For more than a decade, someone or a group of people have similarly posted red hearts drawn on white sheets of paper on the front doors of businesses along the Pearl Street business district in Boulder, Colorado each Valentine's Day, according to reports [Miller, Vanessa. (15 February 2008) [http://www.dailycamera.com/news/2008/feb/14/valentines-bandit-strikes-again/ Mystery hearts return to Boulder's Pearl Street] "Daily Camera". Accessed 15 February 2008.] in the Daily Camera newspaper. In Boulder, the mysterious Valentine's messenger has been dubbed the "kissing bandit."

History

Montpelier's incarnation of the phenomenon began in 2001 near the corner of Main Street and State Street. The windows of shops were covered in 8.5" x 11" color copies of red hearts. They appeared before dawn, and for the most part were welcome and not seen as a nuisance. In subsequent years the center remained the intersection of Main and State streets, but grew outward to include Langdon Street, Elm Street, and lower State Street near the State House and the Pavilion. This raised speculation that the Valentine bandit might be a team. In 2006, for the first time, the "bandit" applied banners with large red hearts around the base of the columns on the portico of the Vermont State House. They were photographed, reproduced on web blogs and on the website of the Friends of the Vermont State House. These same banners were again displayed on the statehouse in 2007. On Valentine's day 2008, they appeared on the chimney stack of the Montpelier High School and on the tower of College Hall at the Vermont College of Fine Arts.

On Valentine's Day 2007 the phenomena became larger, and coincided with a dumping of heavy snow. The "Times Argus" reported "Despite the snow, however, the Valentine bandit visited the Statehouse and other buildings in Montpelier on Wednesday to put up large red paper hearts. Other state buildings, stores and restaurants were also visited during the night, with business windows throughout downtown Montpelier covered in the red paper hearts – a mystery that has become a Valentine’s Day tradition in the state’s capital city." [Staff reports. (14 February 2007) [http://www.timesargus.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070214/NEWS/70214004/1002 'Storm of the Century' hits Vermont - 7:00 p.m.] "Times Argus". Accessed 2 May 2007.] For the first time sculptural hearts painted red were planted on the public lawn [Wallace-Brodeur, Jeb. (14 February 2007) [http://www.timesargus.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070214/NEWS/70214009 Valentine bandit strikes again] "Times Argus". Accessed 2 May 2007.] in front of the State House. A blizzard brought a fresh coat of snow setting off the bright red heart sculptures. The Vermont State House Sergeant at Arms, Francis Brooks, allowed the valentine banners and sculptures to remain through the day.

References

* Michael Sletcher. "New England". Westport, CT, 2004.

External links

* [http://www.montpelier-vt.org/img/hearts.jpgCity of Montpelier website showing the Valentine Bandit's 2007 handiwork]
* [http://www.vtstatehouse.org/tours.htm Photograph of the Valentine Bandit's 2006 work on the website of the Friends of the Vermont State House]
* [http://latitudefortyfourpointtwonorth.blogspot.com/2006/02/valentines-day-phantom-strikes-again.html Latitude 44.2 North entry on Montpelier's Valentine Bandit]
* [http://pickingupstitches.blogspot.com/2007/02/valentines-day-storm.html The Valentine bandit's handiwork on the website of Sarah Adelman]