Conville & Walsh Ltd
Conville & Walsh Ltd
Conville & Walsh Ltd
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SHAPELY ANKLE PREFERRED<br />
A History of Lonely Hearts Ads<br />
Francesca Beauman<br />
<strong>Conville</strong> & <strong>Walsh</strong> <strong>Ltd</strong><br />
Non-fiction<br />
Are you one of the millions of people every week who advertise for love either in newspapers,<br />
magazines or online? Think you’re the first? Well, think again. Because it turns out that people have<br />
been advertising for love for over three centuries.<br />
Cheapside, London, a warm Friday in July 1695. Nestled on page three of a weekly pamphlet called A<br />
Collection for Improvement of Husbandry and Trade, surrounded by ads for a cobbler’s apprentice, an<br />
Arabian stallion and a second-hand bed, was this brave plea:<br />
A Gentleman about 30 Years of Age, that says he had a Very Good Estate, would willingly Match<br />
himself to some Good Young Gentlewoman, that has a Fortune of 3000l. or thereabouts, and he will<br />
make Settlement to Content.<br />
This was the country’s first Lonely Heart ad. It was, however, only the beginning. SHAPELY ANKLE<br />
PREFERRED: a history of Lonely Hearts Ads traces the development of Lonely Hearts ads from the late<br />
seventeenth century right up until their ubiquitous presence in today’s media. Each chapter (‘Men<br />
Seeking Women’, ‘Men Seeking Women’, ‘Once Seen’ and so on) features some of the most hilarious,<br />
and the most heart-breaking, of the multitude of ads that have been placed by the lonely over the<br />
centuries. These are then used to provide a fascinating insight into the history of courtship, love and<br />
marriage. From consumerism to contraception, from the industrial revolution to gay rights, there is a<br />
Lonely Hearts ad to illuminate a great many of the transformations that British society has undergone<br />
over the past three hundred years.<br />
Francesca Beauman gained a first-class honours degree in history from the University of<br />
Cambridge. Born in 1978, she works as a television presenter in the UK. Recent projects include<br />
presenting Bring It On, an entertainment show for BBC1, as well as Comic Relief (BBC1) and Oblivious<br />
(ITV).<br />
UK Publisher Chatto & Windus<br />
Delivery Spring 2008<br />
UK Publication Winter 2008<br />
Length 60,000-70,000 words<br />
Agent CBC<br />
All rights available excluding UK & Commonwealth<br />
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