"Lord, how much can you ?!" - who among us did not exclaim in this way, when at the most interesting place our favorite film or interesting program was interrupted by an ad unit. "It used to be good - no advertising for you!" - we think and … we are mistaken. It is worth looking into the newspapers of the late XIX - early XX centuries and we will see that the "engine of trade" felt quite comfortable on the pages of newspapers and magazines.
Newspaper for a merchant
The circulation and formats of 19th century newspapers, especially provincial ones, can only bring a smile to today's journalists. Although at that time most regions already published their own "Gubernskie vedomosti" (for example, Samara, Tambov or Yaroslavl), but in the first years of their existence, they all came out in size a quarter of the modern A-1 format (594 × 841 mm) and most often only once a week. One-time circulation of these newspapers in the 50-60s of the XIX century usually ranged from 100 to 200 copies, which were sold through private traders.
And even then, in both capitals and even in the provinces, publications appeared that almost completely specialized in advertising. For example, although the "Samara reference sheet" was published in half the volume in comparison with "Samarskie gubernskiye vedomosti", already in 1875 it was able to get as many as 400 subscribers with a total circulation of 800 copies. It turns out that because of the ads and advertisements, this newspaper quickly became popular among the merchants and, in general, among the wealthy part of the population. Indeed, with the help of such a newspaper, it was possible to quickly and profitably buy or sell the desired product.
Here are samples of ads that were printed in provincial newspapers of the late 19th - early 20th centuries.
“The sale of the Elizarov estate will be carried out without dividing it into parts. The bargaining will begin with arrears to the bank on a loan of 2000 rubles, in taxes 69 rubles. 11 kopecks, with the addition of the bank's expenses for the purpose of the estate for sale … Those who wish to bargain orally or through sealed advertisements must submit 10% of the amount from which the bargaining will begin as a deposit”:“Urgent movement of 1897 light passenger ships of the Steamship Company “On the Volga” founded in 1843. Departure from Samara at 9 o'clock in the morning. All steamers are lit with electricity. The speed and the fare are the same as for the post-passenger steamers of the “Caucasus and Mercury” and “Airplane” societies. Cargoes for shipment along the Volga and the Caspian Sea are accepted at the pier by agreement. The company issues loans for goods by agreement with the senders,and also accepts delivery of luggage with cash on delivery. A detailed timetable for the movement of steamboats is available from the agency of the company free of charge. Tel. No. 43 "; “The student will buy the works of Mr. Alfred Brehm“The Life of Animals”in German and Russian in good condition, as well as other works by German and English naturalists. Payment is possible with lessons given by Mr. student at home. To ask a student Vogel, who works here from 2 to 5 pm, in the shop of Mr. Grau on Dvoryanskaya. "To ask a student Vogel, who works here from 2 to 5 pm, in the shop of Mr. Grau on Dvoryanskaya. "To ask a student Vogel, who works here from 2 to 5 pm, in the shop of Mr. Grau on Dvoryanskaya."
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A 100-year-old food processor
Of course, the newspapers were then full of the most unpretentious advertising of various food products, for example, the following: "Tasty, cheap, it is useful to drink real cocoa from Geneva"; “Fresh Hamburg lobsters in the shop of I. A. Zhuravleva and K ° "; "Wine" Saint-Raphael "is the stomach's best friend!" And so on and so forth.
It is curious that in those years not only products were advertised, but also various technical devices for the fastest and most delicious cooking. Here is one of them: “A very original and practical new-invented appliance containing the following items: 1. A kitchen appliance with a dry, eternally non-perishable mass, thanks to which the kitchen appliance instantly ignites and burns with a strong flame without soot and bad smell, absolutely safe. 2. An elegant saucepan. 3. The same frying pan. 4. Spoon, teapot of overhead silver. "Kitchen-Miracle", thanks to its folding device, serves as a real practical travel kitchen. The price for the whole device with the device is 3 rubles. 25 kopecks. " It turns out that food processors existed a hundred years ago!
However, advertisements offered women to do not only everyday life, but also, for example, their own appearance: “I, Anna Chillag, have grown my unusually long (185 centimeters long) hair, reminiscent of Lorelei's, thanks to the 14-month consumption of a special, invented by myself lipstick. The price of the can is 3 and 5 rubles. What is not modern advertising - products for beautiful and healthy hair!
And next to the announcement mentioned above, you can read another: "Sandarema" - useful hygiene products of American manufacture. " As you can see from the attached picture, this is something similar to the feminine sanitary napkins so annoying to all modern TV viewers.
Communal workers also did not refuse to publish ads in newspapers. For example: “The city water supply system began to supply water from wells with a hardness of 19% instead of the previous water supply - a hardness of 36%. For more than four months' supply of water to the city of Chumakov, the commission managed to arrange a connection with new wells. The water of the Koshelev bath well has a hardness of 21.1%. The official opening of the wells will follow in January after their final finishing."
Rubber lady from Brussels
During the first Russian revolution of 1905-1907, the history of a truly independent press began in Russia. Already from the very content of advertisements and announcements of those years, one can clearly see how free from censorship the Russian press then became. If even in the 80s of the XIX century even the mention of women's underwear in the newspaper was considered the height of obscenity, then on the pages of the media published after 1905, one could see not only an advertisement for this kind of intimacy ", but also a lot of sexually medical - ads. In particular, goods were advertised here en masse, which, as we thought, until recently, were invented much later. Take a look: “Anti-pregnancy remedies - condoms from Paris. With the permission of the city government and with the approval of Dr. med. M. Ginzburg. Ask at Surovin's store on Moskachnaya "; "Ointments and moisturizers,saving from love illnesses Useful for gentlemen who leave their wives for a long time. Approved by Dr. Pasteur. Possible to order in advance. Get acquainted on Panskaya during the time of Bagrov's shop. Price from 1 to 3 rubles per bottle "; “Kissing rubber lady with breathtaking shapes. There is no need to feed or clothe. Useful for bachelors. You can browse and order from the catalog from Brussels in the Zimmel private goods store. On Dvoryanskaya, turning into an arch. "You can browse and order from the catalog from Brussels in the Zimmel private goods store. On Dvoryanskaya, turning into an arch. "You can browse and order from the catalog from Brussels in the Zimmel private goods store. On Dvoryanskaya, turning into an arch."
Dating through newspaper ads in those years, too, no longer shocked the enlightened society: “I wish to find a husband. The wedding dress is ready and looks very good for me. Varvara J. "; “An elderly widower needs a young bonna. Necessarily blonde. There are no children, but there may be. Post office. To the bearer of the receipt number 125463 "; “A student exhausted by the study of Hippocrates and Harvey wants to brighten up his evenings by communicating with an exalted young lady who inevitably understands medicine. Plato K ° ".
By the way, among the announcements of acquaintances a century ago, as now, sometimes very funny texts came across: “Kolya, come back, I sold the gramophone”; “The young lady who identified herself as Ophelia at the screening of the cinematography, I am waiting for you again this Thursday at 6 pm. I feel very bad without you. Cornelius A. "; "Antonina Pavlovna Kondratyev announces with sincere sorrow that her husband, Semyon Ivanovich Kondratyev, has returned from a trip to Berlin."
Marquis de Sade and others
By the way, sexual and erotic literature, against the free sale of which the champions of morality are still fighting, was also regularly advertised in the newspapers of those years.
“Demonic women. L. F. Sacher-Masoch. 3rd fix. edition. Chapters: "Theodora", "Red Hair". Siren Woman, Asma. "Second Youth", "Girlfriends", "Live Bench", "Vlasta". Price 1 rub., With illustrations "; “Love joys of the Marquis de Sade. Beauties and Beasts at the Court of the Marquis. With paintings at the court of the Marquis. Not for sale to girls. Published in Paris for the 5th time. Price 1, 5 rubles. "; “The world of sexual passions. Pictures of the sex life of women and men. Marital and celibate pleasures with all their consequences. Dr. med. A. Guildenbrandt. The price is 1 rub."
As you know, the overwhelming majority of non-communist newspapers throughout Russia were closed in 1917 shortly after the October Revolution. At the same time, the reason for the termination of their release was not at all advertising of feminine hygiene products and the publication of frivolous marriage announcements. It is well known that it was all about ideology: just by that time, the degree of influence of the newspaper word on the mood of the masses became more than obvious to everyone, and the Bolsheviks considered it necessary to appropriate this right exclusively to themselves.
Magazine: Secrets of the 20th century №34. Rubric: Shadows of the Past. Author: Valery Erofeev