Very first of the advice column newspapers...
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February 23, 1692
THE ATHENIAN MERCURY, London, Feb. 23, 1692
* Rare 17th century title
This was the very first of the "agony aunt" newspapers (see hyperlink), a newspaper providing personal advice to its readers. In creating this format of responding to questions from readers, the publisher, John Dunton, did so as a result of feeling guilty for cheating on his wife. He thought that people like himself might appreciate confiding anonymously in a stranger & that readers would be titillated by the exchange. It proved to be a success as he was bombarded with queries on everything from marriage to the ethics of slave-trading to why sermons seem longer than they are. There are 8 questions in this issue.
Single sheet, 8 by 12 inches, very nice condition.
* Rare 17th century title
This was the very first of the "agony aunt" newspapers (see hyperlink), a newspaper providing personal advice to its readers. In creating this format of responding to questions from readers, the publisher, John Dunton, did so as a result of feeling guilty for cheating on his wife. He thought that people like himself might appreciate confiding anonymously in a stranger & that readers would be titillated by the exchange. It proved to be a success as he was bombarded with queries on everything from marriage to the ethics of slave-trading to why sermons seem longer than they are. There are 8 questions in this issue.
Single sheet, 8 by 12 inches, very nice condition.
Category: The 1600's and 1700's
