So fun: public search for love is timeless

If you think that our public search for love only started with the advent of dating apps like Tinder and Bumble, then you are quite mistaken. Historical archives from the family platform MyHeritage show that publicly searching for love has existed for centuries and it turns out: we are not so different from our ancestors after all. Of course, this search did not take place through the platforms we know today, but rather in the good old-fashioned way through the newspaper.

It all began with the advent of printed media in Europe in the 17th century. People discovered that you could place calls through pamphlets or flyers and not long after, the birth of the personal ad followed, where hopeful singles publicly sought a partner to complete their lives. However, at that time, this was still a great shame; you could even be locked up in an asylum for it. I must say that I somewhat agree with that consequence when I see what is currently in the average Tinder bio.

Fortunately, this changed when real newspapers were first created in the 18th century and in the 19th century, the personal ad grew into a popular way to find a partner. However, this was still largely done anonymously, as it remained a bit embarrassing to come to marriage this way. A bit like how you feel today that you have to justify yourself for being on Tinder. Also, the ads at that time were actually only placed by men. They mainly wrote that they were of good descent and had a lot of money. Am I crazy or does this suspiciously resemble all the self-proclaimed CEOs and crypto wizards who now dominate Tinder? As a cherry on top, men at that time also often looked for a housekeeper to eventually marry. Sorry, someone has to say it: how are our men still so helpless after all these hundreds of years? I find it almost impressive.

Anyway, in the 20th century, women, thanks to the advent of suffrage and their ability to participate in education, finally took to writing, which led to a much more sophisticated type of personal ads. They mainly wrote that despite their fulfilled lives with many social contacts and a nice job, they were

looking for that one perfect partner who is still missing. A text that I think I once literally had on my dating profile.

So, the modern era being all about dating apps is largely thanks to our mega innovative ancestors. Yet, even though I owe my own relationship to Bumble, I am still the biggest fan of spontaneous meet-cutes. Like when you both reach for the last box of strawberries in the supermarket's produce section and fall in love at first sight, for example. Oh, who knows, maybe my boyfriend would like to reenact such a Hollywood moment with me, although I actually dare not ask that. I'll just put it in an ad.

Curious about the love history of your ancestors? MyHeritage opens all online marriage and divorce registers to the public from Valentine's Day until February 19 so you can scroll through your family's data without a membership. Image: Netflix, Bridgerton.

Source: MyHeritage
Curious about the love history of your ancestors? MyHeritage opens all online marriage and divorce registers to the public from Valentine's Day until February 17, so you can scroll through your family's data without a membership.