Musical accompaniment: Factory Girls by Flogging Molly.

 

Occasionally when I’m tracing an old story through the newspaper archives, I come across the local personals ads. I can’t resist them. They’re a fascinating window into the personal feelings and values of people from the turn of the century.

Two things to keep in mind about these ads: usually, there was a word limit, so writers had to be selective and prioritize what was most important to communicate about themselves and/or what they were looking for. Also, no one included their real names in these ads. People are much bolder when they can remain anonymous!

It’s been eight years since I’ve written about these types of ads. It’s definitely time to check in on our lovelorn friends of long ago!

I picked out a few ads from an 1899 edition of the St. Louis Post. I’ll give you my impression but many of you are far better at reading between the lines than I am. I’m very curious to hear what you think!

 

Our first ad caught my attention right away. “Well-preserved” is certainly a memorable way to describe yourself! I suppose that’s better than “well-worn.” All in all, it’s not a bad ad. Coming right out and saying how much you’re worth seems a little crass but… $500,000 in 1899 is equivalent to over $19 million today. I dare say it was effective!

The next fellow describes himself as a rich grain dealer. Nearly every writer gives some hint of their socioeconomic class. It’s practical, I guess, but I wonder how much people exaggerated. In any case, I wish this guy well. He doesn’t specify how much money respondents need to have, but he does want a cheerful wife. That’s not so much to ask for.

 

This ad seems a little more suspicious. On the surface, he tells us his age, religion, and is upfront about what he wants. That’s all good. But what does he mean by “moderate habits” and why even mention that? The line about a working girl inspired today’s musical selection. I hate to break it to this guy but most good working girls don’t have any means at all!

My guess is this next fellow is in need of money. He gives a little sketch of who he is and what he does, but what does he want in a woman? Rich and (Hebrew). And I bet the (Hebrew) part was negotiable as long as the woman was rich.

 

This ad seems very specific in terms of what he was looking for… I almost wonder if he was trying to get the attention of a specific person.

 

This ad is straightforward but the word “suitable” is doing a lot of work. What on earth could that mean in this context?

 

I hope this next fellow did well. When you cast a net seeking to snare “well-informed women,” you might catch almost anything!

 

The last ad is another curiosity.  Perhaps it’s even a little sinister. This gentleman tells us nothing about himself except that he’s 30. He’s specifically looking for an affable young widow. At 30, it seems odd he would be specifically seeking a widow, doesn’t it? That would make more sense if the gentleman was 55 or 60. On the other hand, he doesn’t mention money.

I await your verdict on these amorous writers with interest!