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
These make me sad. But the second one, at least, makes me
fascinated.
D - Any night but Wednesday; write at once; come this week; for God's sake, pity.
D.M. - Last delivery made, but no mail for Pennsylvania. Have you no mercy? A dreadful calamity… Read full post »
Did you know that this it is the sesquicentennial anniversary of
the beginning of the Civil War? And can you pronounce
"sesquicentennial"? Say that ten times fast.
Yes, folks, it's been 150 years since the war began and it's just
as fascinating a topic as ever, and it gives me an…
I can't help it; I like the depressing ones best. Does that make me
a bad person? It's not that they're so funny, exactly; I mean, they
are sort of, but they are definitely more interesting.
(Plus, they are way easier to find.) So here are a
few, all…
Imagine being on a warship during the American Civil War.
Most of the time it's terribly boring. Your main job is
maintaining the blockade which keeps any supplies from entering the
South. Then every now and then you're drawn into battle, and
dozens of your friends die all at once b…
I totally lied about Wednesday. Oops! I'm telling you,
the last two weeks have been total madness.
I have the biggest soft spot in the world for Civil War soldiers, and at the moment it is increased by the fact that I'm teaching that class again and we've just…
I have the biggest soft spot in the world for Civil War soldiers, and at the moment it is increased by the fact that I'm teaching that class again and we've just…
No, that's actually how this ad begins! Check it:
Matrimonial. - I think I need a wife; one educated well, and rich to, but not very, for I am a lawyer and somewhat of a politician, and she must maintain the station. For myself, I spurn the "social lie" which… Read full post »
Having just finished reading David Copperfield, this ad felt very
apropos.
I see a lot of ads from people saying something along the lines of "come home, all is forgiven," often from or on behalf of parents. They are almost always incredibly depressing. Like: "So-and-so is dying, for Go…
I see a lot of ads from people saying something along the lines of "come home, all is forgiven," often from or on behalf of parents. They are almost always incredibly depressing. Like: "So-and-so is dying, for Go…
I wish I'd seen these ads in March, when they were actually
appropriate, but I'm not waiting till next year. So here are
two totally chronologically out-of-place ads that I just found and
love!
Estella - I was at the Purim Ball last night attired as King Ashasuerus. … Read full post »
I almost forgot to put up a post today. Been so distracted with
life being super busy right now, blogging has kind of taken a back
seat, but I am still here for you, dear readers. Today, another sad
one:
Louise - In vain I have tried… Read full post »
Here are a couple rather amusing, if confusing, ads that have
nothing to do with each other - and yet are all a little bit, let's
say, unique.
Some one is deluded. McG - is not the chap. His romantic
propositions have subsided. He is not… Read full post »
This ad reminds me of one that I posted about the elegant lady. 
It says: "Beautiful neighbor. - Your sweet face is
sunshine to me. Where and when can we meet? Address
CONSTANT, box 110 Herald office. State some particulars for
safety."
Now here's my question: I've talke…
It says: "Beautiful neighbor. - Your sweet face is
sunshine to me. Where and when can we meet? Address
CONSTANT, box 110 Herald office. State some particulars for
safety."Now here's my question: I've talke…
Not the first one. Well, maybe the first one. What do you
think?
December 21, 1889. — My dear friend, who sent the money and letter on Monday, I may never lay eyes on you again, but I ask you, for God's sake, to write me, if only one word;… Read full post »
One of the things I mentioned early on is how difficult it is to
know who was actually writing all these personal ads. I think most
of the people fall into the middle class somewhere, for a variety
of reasons (Bertram being a good example, as always), but
of course…
It's funny; there's another ad from the same day this one is from
that is so amusing - I'll post it eventually - that I never even
noticed this matrimonial before. But it's interesting, so I thought
I'd post it:
Matrimonial. - A gentleman of 35, a resident of California, and… Read full post »
Things started to change at the end of the 19th century; ads got
shorter, more terse, and less formal. A lot less formal. Like these
three, which are right next to each other:
The first one is by far my favorite.
The first one is by far my favorite.
A talented, respectable young lady wishes honorable gentleman of means… Read full post »
Here's a rare one!Really, this is not something you see everyday - at least not in the nineteenth century. Go on Craigslist and this is tame. Still:
Yesterday, about three o'clock, twenty-third street stage to Grand street. -- Would the two young ladies (one dressed in black) allow the young… Read full post »
This ad, other than being rather long, is fairly typical but
there's one thing that stands out to me as rather odd. See for
yourself:
The text reads:More...
The text reads:More...
Matrimonial. - An intelligent gentleman, of good standing in
society and in favorable circumstances, having some pretensions as
to good lo… Read full post »
Some of these advertisers came up with bizarre
nicknames; Hair Dye and Eyebrows come to mind, for
example. But this one takes the cake, no doubt. It reads:
"Consolidated Ice - Disappointed; lunch at one Thursday, same
place, or telephone eleven sharp; leave Friday, love."Consolidated Ice???/…
I know this ad doesn't look like much. It reads:
A young widow lady, 20 years of age, is desirous of forming the acquaintance of a professional or Southern gentleman, not over 35, and inclined to good looks, with a view to matrimony. Address Confidence, box 116 Herald office.
So what's/…
Some people just reveled in their tragedy. Seriously, read these
and tell me what you think:
First, we have poor Juliet. She writes: "Romeo - Where
art thou? Write to your Queen, your darling Juliet, 325, or Juliet
369 Herald Uptown." I mentioned this a long time ago, way,…
First, we have poor Juliet. She writes: "Romeo - Where
art thou? Write to your Queen, your darling Juliet, 325, or Juliet
369 Herald Uptown." I mentioned this a long time ago, way,… 
I
have no words to describe these ads. They were printed three days
apart, so I can only assume they are from the same person - or the
same couple. Here is the text:More...
ADORED darling. - How dark my life without the light that you shed
upon it, how/… Read full post »
Seriously - they'd make a perfect match. See for yourself: More...
A wife, of a suitable age, wanted by a professional gentleman between fifty and sixty years of age - one companionable, of good disposition, and quiet domestic habits, with some means to contribute to our mutual comfort… Read full post »
I said last week that women's matrimonial ads tended
to be a bit more dry and dull than men's, and I have a couple
theories about that, both of which revolve around - what else? -
money. First and most simply, women probably had less money to
spend on placing…
ConnieMack
shaggylocks
odetteroulette
ambiacademic
Kerry Lauerman
Joan Walsh
Salon.com