I feel so bad about being so remiss that I’m putting up an entry anyway. So here are two missed connection ads that are from 1853! I didn’t even realize till recently that they went so far back. Some things never change. (Except the clothes.)
The two young ladies who were walking in Broadway on Thursday morning, between Canal and Broome streets, one wearing a brown silk bonnet and fur cape, the other a black velvet hat, with a fur cape, dark dresses, will oblige an admirer by sending their address to L.L., Herald office.
If the lady dressed in a watered striped silk, black velvet mantilla, and white satin hat, with feathers, who attended Wallack’s Lyceum on Thursday evening, 6th inst., and upon leaving took one of the Fourteenth street line of stages, at the same time bowing twice to a gentleman standing upon the sidewalk, will condescend to address a note to Randolph, Broadway Post Office, granting an interview, it will be the means of conferring a great deal of happiness upon one who would be pleased to make your acquaintance.
The first one I just find amusing because you have one guy addressing two women. I always wonder how that can end well, unless he has a friend he wants to introduce to them. But if not, how can this work out? Is he going to date them both and decide which girl he likes best? Because that seems like a recipe for disaster.
But it’s the second one which I love. First, I always think it’s awesome when guys are able to describe the woman’s clothing in such intimate detail. Honestly I can’t remember what I was wearing three days ago, much less someone else, and – not to stereotype or anything – I do think guys tend to be less observant about women’s clothing. However, her outfit sounds especially stylish, especially the mantilla (women wore mantillas in the States back then? Weird).
Then the rest of the ad is super adorable. I like the part about “it will be the means of conferring a great deal of happiness.” Aw. That’s cute. I would like it if meeting me would confer a great deal of happiness. (I like to think it does, sometimes!) That being said, him following her out of the theater and watching her get on a 14th St streetcar is a little weird because Wallack’s Theater (according the the amazing interwebs) is on Broadway and Broome, which is nowhere near 14th St. And maybe she bowed at you because you were freaking her out, Randolph. I don’t know – maybe that particular street car went up Broadway and then turned on 14th, and it was one he was familiar with, so he knew where it was going? I’m going to assume that’s the case and give him the benefit of the doubt, mostly just because if she did get onto a 14th St stage at 14th St, she walked pretty far to get there.
Well, my lecture awaits. This is the last week of classes, hooray! Two months off from teaching. I love teaching and all, but two months off is even better (if only I didn’t have a second job, but a girl’s got to pay the rent!).