Who Makes the Best (Victorian) Wives?

Who Makes the Best (Victorian) Wives?

Victorian-era American wisdom regarding romance, marriage, and courtship is fascinating! A collection of 19th century newspaper clippings provides a wide range of answers to the question: Who Makes the Best (Victorian) Wives? Throughout the late nineteenth century, much (conflicting) advice for the hymeneal-minded.

Note: Part of a blog series including Blondes are Favorites (Who Makes the Best (Victorian) Wives?).

NEWSPAPER Brides vs. Mail-Order Brides

NEWSPAPER Brides vs. Mail-Order Brides

The term “Mail-Order Bride” is a 20th century development, though current popular fiction suggests it was common as early as the Civil War.
Matrimonial advertisements were published in newspapers far more often than a “catalog” of sorts. In fact more than one Matrimonial-type newspaper started up in the late 19th Century. The Matrimonial News did quite well in London, Germany, and the United States.