A History of Advertising from the Earliest Times.Sampson, Henry
History
A History of Advertising from the Earliest Times.
Sampson, Henry
Advertising -- History
ANY Lady whose Situation may require a Temporary Retirement, may be
accommodated agreeable to her wishes in the house of a Gentleman of
eminence in the Profession, where honour and secrecy may be depended
on, and where every vestige of Pregnancy is obliterated; or any Lady
who wishes to become Pregnant may have the causes of sterility removed
in the safest manner. Letters (Post-paid) addressed to A. B. No. 23,
Fleet Street, will be attended to.
A. B. offers a double convenience, the second item in which is well
worthy of note. The house must have been somewhat similar, except that
the accommodation was for human beings, to those establishments
advertisements in connection with which frequently appear in the
sporting and agricultural papers. Much about the same date as the
specimen just quoted appears another of quite a different kind, inserted
in several journals. It is rather unique as a way of reminding
customers that life is short and debt is long, and is suspiciously
sartorial:--
TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN.
RICHARD Guy returns thanks to all his good old Friends for their kind
Recommendation, which he will always acknowledge with gratitude, by
being ready to oblige them on all occasions, but earnestly desires to
settle Accounts, to pay and to be paid; which he hopes will be of
satisfaction to both parties; for as it is fully observed, short
Reckonings keep long Friends; so to preserve good friendship and
prevent disputes in Accompts, he always pays ready Money, that is
doing as he would be done unto.
N.B.--He courts neither Honour nor Riches, his whole and sole motive
being to serve his good old Friends; the sin of Ingratitude he utterly
abhors.
The shameless manner in which sinecures in Government offices were
bought and sold even so late as 1781 is shown by the following specimen
advertisement, which is taken from the _Morning Herald_ of September
22:--
A GENTLEMAN of Character who wishes for some Employ under Government
merely for the sake of Amusement, would be willing to advance any
Nobleman or Gentleman the sum of Three Thousand Pounds, upon Mortgage,
upon legal Interest, provided the Mortgager will, thro’ his Interest,
procure a place in any genteel Department, where the emoluments are
not less than two or three hundred Pounds _per annum_. The Advertiser
flatters himself this will not be deemed an ineligible Offer, if
compared with the present mode of raising Money upon Annuities; as a
gentleman must be obliged to grant five hundred _per annum_ out of his
income to raise the like Sum. If any Gentleman who may be inclined to
answer this Advertisement does not know of any Vacancy, the Advertiser
will point out several, which may be easily procured by interest. A
line addressed to S. X. to be left at the bar of the Chapter
Coffee-house, St Paul’s, will be attended to. Secrecy may be depended
on. No Broker will be treated with.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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