Classifieds, Curious and Curiouser

By: Miki Johnson As Sara Bader reminds us in her new book, Strange Red Cow, And Other Curious Classified Ads from the Past, newspapers have been the information clearinghouse of choice for most of America's history ? and much of that time can be unexpectedly illuminated by a survey of classified ads. A related story, of newspaper's changing place in our everyday lives, also emerges from within Bader's selective survey of classified ads from America's first paper, in 1704, to online services like Craigslist and ISawYou.com.

While researching the Declaration of Independence, Bader came across a classified ad for an errant "strange red cow." When brought to mind years later, it drove her to the library on weekends to see if she could ferret out other idiosyncratic ads. She soon discovered that the cow example "was one of millions of amazing ads out there," says Bader, 35. "I could spend the rest of my life, literally, looking for ads and never even scratch the surface."

Utilizing skills honed as a freelance researcher and associate producer for A&E and The History Channel, Bader soon found herself neck-deep in alternately fascinating and quirky classifieds. So as not to drown in their sheer volume, she limited her search to the New York area (she lives in Long Island) and a few historical moments. The tome is organized by themes: Lost and Found, The Runaway Slave Notice, Information Wanted, Personals, Help Wanted, and Swap.

In each section of the book, published by Clarkson & Potter, Bader unpacks classifieds' historical context and highlights famous moments in ads, such as rewards for an eyewitness to Lincoln's assassination and the original posting for 4-year-old Charley Ross, America's first high-profile kidnapping in July 1874.

Bader reveals that readers did not immediately view papers as a worthwhile place to advertise. But once they caught on, classifieds became a huge source of newspaper revenue and people's first choice for information. By the Civil War era, classifieds had moved to the front pages, expanded to several pages, and proved extremely lucrative. During waves of immigration to the United States, especially during Ireland's potato famine between 1845 and 1855, immigrants would spend the meager change they carried with them on ads to find family members already established in the new country.

"That was a really good way to spend your money," Bader explains. "There was a huge dependence on these columns ? it was a place everybody raced to for information." Although Bader did not keep notes on ad prices or the dollar's buying power, she says that judging from wages listed for 19th-century railroad workers, an ad at that time cost about a day's hard labor.

As immigration increased, those placing ads could target an ever more precise market. Niche papers (like the Irish-American-focused Boston Pilot) flourished, as well as black and Native American papers. Black papers were especially popular locations for post-emancipation ads attempting to reunite families splintered by slavery.

Classified ads also provide personalized glimpses into larger cultural shifts. For example, Bader was surprised to discover some of the first homosexual personal ads in New Jersey's Hobby Directory from 1946. A resurgence of personal ads in progressive papers like the Village Voice during the 1960s and '70s further reflected shifting ideas of desirable partners.

And whereas personal ads originally emphasized anonymity, such as those with "a view to matrimony" that flourished in papers from Colonial times to the mid-19th century, Bader thinks this form of advertising is no longer something to be kept a secret. "It's becoming a normal tool to find a mate," she declares.

Personals reprinted in her book reveal the changing times. Here's one from the July 17, 1867, New York Herald: "Niblo's, Monday Evening, occupied adjoining seats in parquet; repeated pressure of arm and foot, and hands met when separating. If agreeable, address Bruno, Box 211 Herald office."

From the Dec. 28, 2001, www.ISawYou. com: "I was getting searched next to the holding cell for men, when there walked a line of women by. You were barefoot, looked angry, and I can't stop thinking about you." And from the July 9, 2002 Village Voice: "Sneaker Trampling ? Generous SWM seeks female to trample or kick me with clean sneakers."

Now that online posting services have created a free venue for classifieds, those placing ads face a whole new set of problems. In the aftermath of hurricane Katrina, hundreds of Web sites were created to aid survivors. This demonstrates how classifieds' effectiveness has been constrained by their decentralization, but also how much faith people place in their usefulness.

Online ads present another problem, one most disturbing to an archive snoop like Bader: They aren't being preserved anywhere. The same quality that intrigues her about these texts ? their ephemeral pertinence ? also puts them in danger of being permanently lost, sometimes on a subway seat somewhere.