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Long before there was
online dating, there was this.

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A dance card.

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From the 1920s
through the 1950s.

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UW Madison students
used these dance cards

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at formal dances
and social events.

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Here's how it worked.

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Instead of swiping left
or right,

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you had someone write their name
down.

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Mostly carried by women.

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The cards listed the dances
scheduled for the evening.

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Next to each dance, you'd write
the name of your partner.

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So your entire evening
was planned out in advance.

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Which sounds pretty organized.

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Instead of spending the entire
evening

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dancing with one person,

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you could have a different
partner for each dance.

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Men were generally expected
to do the asking,

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while women were expected
to wait to be asked.

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Apparently the patriarchy
had choreography too.

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Many cards
were beautifully designed,

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with illustrations, decorations,

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and details about the event.

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The cards were a way to remember
the night and your partners,

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and might end up as a token
of a couple's first date.

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Eventually, dance cards
faded out as the dating customs

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and gender expectations changed,

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but today they offer
a surprisingly personal glimpse

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into college life

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and the social rules
that came with it decades ago.