National Army Museum Exhibits Love Letters Between Soldiers And Loved Ones

In search of inspiration for Valentine's Day? Restaurant reservations and boxes of chocolates come and go, but love letters (and their modern day counterparts) last forever.

There is no better proof of their lasting effects than the UK National Army Museum's timely exhibit "Wives And Sweethearts," which chronicles love letters and images sent between soldiers and their loved ones in all stages of romance.

From the early 1800s to modern day romances, the exhibit takes you from "Courtship and Engagement" to "Separation" and "Reunion" with letters and photographs exchanged via the old fashion postal service.

You can read Lieutenant (later Major-General) Walter Newman's letter proposing to his beloved Emma Browne (and his subsequently joyful letter when he receives her acceptance) just as you can let Bombardier Moss Simon's personal effects as a prisoner of war in Japan tug at your heart strings.

In an effort to make the exhibit accessible to those not in the UK this Valentine's Day, the museum has made nearly all of the materials in the exhibit available online. Meaning inspiration for that Hallmark card or personalized candy gram is but a click away.