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Henry Robinson opened the Office of Addresses and Encounters on Threadneedle Street, London on 29th September, 1650. The centre provided a forward-looking, unusual mix of services ranging from job placements, money lending, and property dealings\u2026 to (shhh) match-making.\nRobinson's inspiration came from a broader philosophical concept of creating a place where people of all classes could access information, regardless of their status in society. He accordingly charged a minimal fee for answers to queries, and offered an array of services, from buying and selling land to language tuition and finding \u2018travel companions\u2019.\xa0\nIn this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly explore why euphemistic wording was so often used in these very first \u2018classifieds\u2019; reveal the first documented example of a \u2018Lonely Hearts\u2019 advertisement; and consider what Robinson\u2019s upselling model had in common with Costco\u2026\nFurther Reading:\n\u2022 \u2018Heretic, Rebel, a Thing to Flout: They Found Answers at the Office of Addresses and Encounters\u2019 (Patrick Murfin, 2016): https://patrickmurfin.blogspot.com/2016/09/they-found-answers-at-office-of.html\n\u2022 \u2018The Secret History of Domesticity - Public, Private, and the Division of Knowledge -\nBy Michael McKeon\u2019 (John Hopkins University Press, 2006): https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/The_Secret_History_of_Domesticity/8VrwIKiAefkC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=henry+robinson+office+of+encounters&pg=PA28&printsec=frontcover\n\u2022 \u2018HISTORY OF IDEAS - Dating\u2019 (The School of Life, 2018): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ob14PcHtazQ\n#1600s #UK #Romantic #Business\nLove the show? Join\xa0\U0001f334CLUB RETROSPECTORS\xa0\U0001f334 to DITCH THE ADS and get an additional full-length episode every SUNDAY!\nPlus, get weekly bonus bits, unlock over 70 bits of extra content and support our independent podcast.\nJoin now via\xa0Apple Podcasts\xa0or\xa0Patreon.\xa0Thanks!\npodfollow.com/Retrospectors\n\xa0\nThe Retrospectors are Olly Mann, Rebecca Messina & Arion McNicoll, with Matt Hill. Edit producer: Sophie King. Mix & Scheduling: Steve Stonhold\nTheme Music: Pass The Peas. Announcer: Bob Ravelli. Graphic Design: Terry Saunders.\nCopyright: Rethink Audio / Olly Mann 2023. \n Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.\nLearn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices