Showing posts with label newspapers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label newspapers. Show all posts

Monday, December 12, 2022

Today's bon bon: How to get a job in Regency Britain? Post an advert!


 If you wanted a position in Britain in the Regency period, you might apply to a registry in your home town. Registries took applications from those who wished to work as servants, companions, groomsmen or more. Any kind of servant in a household might register with the firm, the owners of which examined the applicant for references for good character and experience.

But another way to find a job was to take out an advertisement touting your capabilities. In these, you could declare how prim, proper, educated and eager you were for such a position.

Advertisements cost little. They also worked well because newspapers had wide circulations and they too cost as little as three pennies per copy.

Here is a sample of two ads, one taken by a lady and another by a man!

Monday, November 12, 2018

Medicines of yore that killed!

I've been doing research in old newspapers and many offer insights into products for sale and their ingredients. One of them that fascinates me is the category of medicines. Home remedies they were called. And many of them were dangerous.
Cough syrups for children contained cocaine. Pills for women who were "hysterical" often contained laudanum. Children and adults died of continued use and overdose.
Here are a few of the ads.