The Vault at Pfaff'sMary A. Levison, also known as Mrs. Levison and “Levison’s widow” in the Gunn Diaries, was born in Philadelphia in 1828. She married William H. Levison, the New York publisher and proprietor of the Picayune. According to Thomas Butler Gunn’s diaries, Mrs. Levison’s introduction to the Pfaffian circle came in 1853 when Gunn met with Mrs. and Mr. Levison about completing an assignment for the Picayune. Much of Mary Levison’s involvement in the Pfaffian scene was in relation to said newspaper. Gunn was often a vocal critic of the Levison’s marriage and their dynamic as a couple who worked together in the publishing industry.
In addition to Gunn, Mrs. Levison was acquainted with Bohemians Jesse Haney, Allie Vernon, and Sol Eytinge. Sadly, Mrs. Levison was most well known for enduring the loss of both her child and husband, Mr. Levison, in the span of just a few weeks. She assumed her husband’s editorial and publishing responsibilities after his death. That included upkeeping the Picayune. A triumvirate of Frank Henry Temple Bellew, Mortimer Thomson, and Haney attempted to purchase the paper from Mary Levison, as did Charles Gayler. She was initially only keen on allowing Haney any form of ownership, but she eventually sold it to Thomson and his business partner Wilbur. Mrs. Levison did retain her shares of Nick-Nax in hopes of turning a profit, which was somewhat complicated by Haney’s approach to editing the paper. Their working relationship was strained by Mrs. Levison’s distrust of Haney’s motivations around finances, as well as other Bohemians’ suspicions that Haney would romantically pursue a widowed woman. Their relationship would become even more strained after Haney began his Comic Monthly in 1859.