Dating is a huge part of our lives in 2022, making it hard for many of us to believe that it’s a relatively new phenomenon and has changed a lot since the early 1900s.

From chaperoned dates to dating apps, the nature of first dates and dating, in general, has changed a lot over the years. Here’s a breakdown of how first dates have changed over the past hundred years.

The Early 1900s: Gentleman Callers

Since the concept of marrying for love was a relatively new concept at the turn of the 20th century, so was dating. Dating in the early 1900s resembled courtship more than modern dating, and first dates (and many other dates) consisted of a “gentleman caller” visiting a young woman at her home (after having received permission to do so from the young Colombia Lady datum lady and her parents).

The date was almost always chaperoned by family members (talk about awkward), but the dates were also straightforward and focused on finding a potential future spouse. Though chaperoned dating doesn’t sound ideal, we can’t help but love the appeal of focusing on what the future of a relationship could be instead of playing games or wasting time. Read more