{"id":2158,"date":"2019-09-14T17:33:45","date_gmt":"2019-09-14T17:33:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/teachingwiththemes.com\/?p=2158"},"modified":"2019-09-14T17:33:45","modified_gmt":"2019-09-14T17:33:45","slug":"almanacs-information-before-the-internet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/teachingwiththemes.com\/index.php\/2019\/09\/14\/almanacs-information-before-the-internet\/","title":{"rendered":"Almanacs: Information before the Internet"},"content":{"rendered":"

Almanacs were a popular and handy reference for information and entertainment centuries before internet search engines, calendar apps, YouTube, blogs, and Google Maps. And like the internet, almanacs also informed us about new products and services through advertising and promotional articles.<\/p>\n

\"18th<\/a>
18th Century Man of Signs or Zodiac Man<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Select the images for a larger view and more information.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

At the heart of all early almanacs was a calendar. Almanacs first appeared in the ancient and medieval world, long before printing, to communicate important dates and information related to astrological predictions, events and heavenly influences on health or religious observances and their importance. Throughout time, almanacs also included all sorts of additional information, from court dates and mileage between towns to health advice and entertainment. Oxford English Dictionary<\/a> defines an almanac as a book of charts and tables with a calendar, astrological and meteorological forecasts, and a variety of other information.<\/p>\n

By the early 18th<\/sup> century, almanacs in the American colonies provided the traditional calendar-related information as well as entertaining essays, poems, and quotes and advice for the home and farm. Almanacs often included receipts (recipes) for cures for both humans and farm animals, useful household products, food and drink.<\/p>\n

“Content marketing” in historical almanacs<\/h4>\n
\"1938<\/a>
1938 Rawleigh’s Good Health Guide, Almanac, Cook Book<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Advertisements began to appear in almanacs as early as the 17th century. By the 19th<\/sup> century, almanacs full of essays, advertisements, and customer testimonials were printed and distributed free or cheap to sell medicine, food, and other products. Content marketing, the modern practice of posting informative articles on commercial websites to attract customers and increase search engine rankings (SEO \u2013 search engine optimization<\/a>), isn\u2019t a new strategy. Almanac printers discovered this technique centuries ago.<\/p>\n

For example, the 1881 edition of Brayley\u2019s Family Medical Almanac<\/em><\/a> described a wonderful new cure – French Magnetic Oil – and recommended it for numerous complaints. Numerous testimonials from customers (real or fake?) were also included.<\/p>\n

As those who comprehend the principles of the action of this remedy have already seen that the list of diseases cured by it is wonderful in number, variety and range: Local Muscular Pains, Growing Pains in Children, Pain in the Side, Back Ache, Cramps in the Limbs, Bunions, Chillblains<\/a>, and Frost-Bites, Enlarged Veins, Chronic Ulcers, Strains, Cramps, Toothache, Earache, and many others are all comprised in it.<\/em> (p. 24)<\/p>\n

In addition to medical advertising in the form of advice, this 36-page almanac included calendar pages with jokes and funny anecdotes.<\/p>\n