Advertising for Love
Funny, strange, and poignant personal ads from the 19th century.
Pam Epstein
- Birthday
- June 14
- Bio
- I'm a PhD graduate from Rutgers University, where I wrote my dissertation on the transformation of love and marriage in 19th-century America. I started this blog to share the funny, poignant, interesting, and just plain bizarre personal ads I've been researching for my work.
MY RECENT POSTS
- Well at least he's honest
June 02, 2011 01:25PM - Orphan preferred
May 18, 2011 03:05PM - Leaving a legacy
May 09, 2011 12:55PM - Dissed
May 04, 2011 05:11PM - Pretty women
April 26, 2011 08:30AM
MY RECENT COMMENTS
- “That's right, from the
1860s.”
May 05, 2011 08:52AM - “Aw, thanks FunsunA! Glad
you enjoyed. I'm almost
done
teaching for the
semester…”
April 27, 2011 11:49AM - “Ha ha, totally -
although I think it's possible
that
Pennsylvania is the
person's…”
April 14, 2011 11:08AM - “So true. I wouldn't
quite compare them to Lily
Bart, who came
from a more
middle…”
March 20, 2011 12:44PM - “Jonathan,
thanks!!
Laura, yes
someone else suggested that
too - I think
you're
rig…”
March 20, 2011 12:36PM
Pam Epstein's Links
April 27, 2011 11:49AM
“Aw, thanks FunsunA! Glad you enjoyed. I'm almost done teaching for the semester so hopefully now that I have a bit more free time I'll be more dilige…”
About: Pretty women
“Aw, thanks FunsunA! Glad you enjoyed. I'm almost done teaching for the semester so hopefully now that I have a bit more free time I'll be more dilige…”
About: Pretty women
April 14, 2011 11:08AM
“Ha ha, totally - although I think it's possible that Pennsylvania is the person's pseudonym? It's a weird one, but it would work in that context...”
About: For pity's sake
“Ha ha, totally - although I think it's possible that Pennsylvania is the person's pseudonym? It's a weird one, but it would work in that context...”
About: For pity's sake
March 20, 2011 12:44PM
“So true. I wouldn't quite compare them to Lily Bart, who came from a more middle/upper-middle class urban background (whereas these girls, I think, we…”
About: Lost girls
“So true. I wouldn't quite compare them to Lily Bart, who came from a more middle/upper-middle class urban background (whereas these girls, I think, we…”
About: Lost girls
March 20, 2011 12:36PM
“Jonathan, thanks!! Laura, yes someone else suggested that too - I think you're right. TheBadS cot, wow, you gave this a lot of thought. I spent plenty of…”
About: In the Navy
“Jonathan, thanks!! Laura, yes someone else suggested that too - I think you're right. TheBadS cot, wow, you gave this a lot of thought. I spent plenty of…”
About: In the Navy
March 18, 2011 11:06PM
“Thanks all! Karen - yes, he would have been part of a naval blockade that the Union army had along the Southern coast for most of the war. I definitely…”
About: In the Navy
“Thanks all! Karen - yes, he would have been part of a naval blockade that the Union army had along the Southern coast for most of the war. I definitely…”
About: In the Navy
March 13, 2011 05:31PM
“James M. Emmerling - I don't really think they were stalkers, but every now and then they come off that way. For the most part I think it's genuine -…”
About: Gone dancing
“James M. Emmerling - I don't really think they were stalkers, but every now and then they come off that way. For the most part I think it's genuine -…”
About: Gone dancing
February 18, 2011 02:55PM
“J.P. Major - if the whole historian career fails to pan out, "historical novelist" is next on the list! Paul Hinrichs - I definitely think ads…”
About: Still not happy
“J.P. Major - if the whole historian career fails to pan out, "historical novelist" is next on the list! Paul Hinrichs - I definitely think ads…”
About: Still not happy
February 09, 2011 12:26PM
“Thanks zanelle! I'm trying to get back into a more frequent blogging routine but it's been hard!”
About: Sweet, saucy, and a little scary
“Thanks zanelle! I'm trying to get back into a more frequent blogging routine but it's been hard!”
About: Sweet, saucy, and a little scary
January 07, 2011 05:13PM
“I.C. London - Not necessarily true. Women often got married in their late teens back then (you were an old maid if you were single in your late twenti…”
About: Too good to be true?
“I.C. London - Not necessarily true. Women often got married in their late teens back then (you were an old maid if you were single in your late twenti…”
About: Too good to be true?
December 29, 2010 09:26AM
“Well, bear in mind that during this time period (middle-class) women weren't supposed to work, so having a husband with a good income was crucial. I t…”
About: Too diffident to date
“Well, bear in mind that during this time period (middle-class) women weren't supposed to work, so having a husband with a good income was crucial. I t…”
About: Too diffident to date
December 05, 2010 11:13PM
“wshanz and Amy Scheck - If I could come up with a more innocent explanation, I would! Well - who knows - maybe he lost a daughter at that age and want…”
About: City of Sin
“wshanz and Amy Scheck - If I could come up with a more innocent explanation, I would! Well - who knows - maybe he lost a daughter at that age and want…”
About: City of Sin
November 08, 2010 10:47PM
“irishwolfhound - someone on my main site made the point that they might have been recent immigrants too, that's very true. But most recent Irish immig…”
About: Aboard the USS John P. Jackson
“irishwolfhound - someone on my main site made the point that they might have been recent immigrants too, that's very true. But most recent Irish immig…”
About: Aboard the USS John P. Jackson
October 18, 2010 12:29PM
“irishwolfhound - I can totally see Lydia wanting a knight in shining armor! Perfect. l'Heure Bleue - thanks! I wonder too - probably literature and th…”
About: Lydia, oh Lydia
“irishwolfhound - I can totally see Lydia wanting a knight in shining armor! Perfect. l'Heure Bleue - thanks! I wonder too - probably literature and th…”
About: Lydia, oh Lydia
October 13, 2010 08:01AM
“l'Heure Bleue - thanks! FunsunA - I agree; he's obviously looking for someone to invest money in his mines, but the fact that it's specifically a lady m…”
About: Western miner seeks a wife
“l'Heure Bleue - thanks! FunsunA - I agree; he's obviously looking for someone to invest money in his mines, but the fact that it's specifically a lady m…”
About: Western miner seeks a wife
October 09, 2010 08:28AM
“Ginny Rose - Thanks! I DO delete the spam...but it's hard to do when it's posted at 1:30am while I'm asleep. If there's a way to screen out spammers…”
About: My dear soldiers
“Ginny Rose - Thanks! I DO delete the spam...but it's hard to do when it's posted at 1:30am while I'm asleep. If there's a way to screen out spammers…”
About: My dear soldiers
October 08, 2010 09:50PM
“Boomer Bob - someone else said "prosperous" as well, and while I can see that, it just makes no sense! Who would ever expect a war to be &qu…”
About: My dear soldiers
“Boomer Bob - someone else said "prosperous" as well, and while I can see that, it just makes no sense! Who would ever expect a war to be &qu…”
About: My dear soldiers
October 07, 2010 11:49PM
“l'Heure Bleue - thanks so much! Come back any time ;) I thought "propitious" as well, but it seems like the word in the ad is shorter. It…”
About: My dear soldiers
“l'Heure Bleue - thanks so much! Come back any time ;) I thought "propitious" as well, but it seems like the word in the ad is shorter. It…”
About: My dear soldiers
October 07, 2010 11:41PM
“Yeah, I love these guys - and I hope they were saved from loneliness!”
About: My dear soldiers
“Yeah, I love these guys - and I hope they were saved from loneliness!”
About: My dear soldiers
ConnieMack
shaggylocks
odetteroulette
ambiacademic
Kerry Lauerman
Joan Walsh
Salon.com