Finding love in the modern era seems to be largely reliant on dating apps like Tinder and Bumble. In fact, today's young adults – who were born just as online dating really started to take over – wouldn't know it any other way. But for hundreds of years, the job of matchmaker largely fell to the internet's ink-and-paper predecessor – the local newspaper. In the run-up to Valentine's Day, hilarious, sad and often poignant clippings reveal how people found a romantic match in times past. Ranging from articles to lovestruck poems and lonely hearts columns, they might provide an unlikely source of inspiration if you've someone to woo.