27 Memorial Drive West, Bethlehem, PA 18015
To explore the relationships between the various bohemian writers and artists who frequented Pfaff's bar, select a person or group, and then select a relationship type. This section of the site is currently under construction; new content is being added on a regular basis.
Arnold and Aldrich were familiar with each other during the days of "Literary Bohemia" in New York.
He is mentioned as part of "a group of journalists and magazine-writers" with whom Aldrich was familiar during his days in the "Literary Bohemia" in New York.
Aldrich was familiar with Clare during his days in the "Literary Bohemia" of New York.
Aldrich met Fitz-Greene Halleck through Frederick S. Cozzens after Aldrich's poem "The Ballad of Baby Bell" caught Cozzens's attention.
Halleck is mentioned as one of the older men Aldrich knew in New York.
Ludlow and Aldrich were familiar with each other during the days of Literary Bohemia in New York.
Ludlow is identified as one of the writers Whitman met at Pffaf's.
Aldrich is one of the few members of the Bohemian group that Stedman is known to have been acquainted with.
He received "backhanded praise" from Whitman for his "poetic 'tinkles.'"
Whitman mentioned making his acquaintance "in New York, at the beershop."
Aldrich was remembered by Whitman as "the dainty book man."
Taylor, Stoddard, Aldrich, and Stedman are mentioned as the parties in New York involved in the "inconsistent opposition" to the third edition of Leaves of Grass in 1859-1860. Clapp battled against them.
Winter claims that Clapp did not like Aldrich.
Aldrich's acquaintance with Mark Twain originated from an angry letter written by Mr. Twain to the "unreliable editor of Every Saturday." In the paper, Mr. Aldrich credited some badly reviewed rhymes to Twain, who wrote in to say that the lines were not his. Aldrich corrected the mistake immediately.
Aldrich is mentioned as one of the parties in New York involved in the "inconsistent opposition" to the third edition of Leaves of Grass in 1859-1860.
Parry cites Whitman's remark "Yes, Tom, I like your tinkles: I like them very well" and the enemy he made in Aldrich as an example of Whitman's tendency to be rude when others "shone" at Pfaff's.
Whitman made fun of Aldrich when he called him an "errand boy."
Winter discusses the relationship between Aldrich and Whitman. Winter says that Whitman "contrived to inspire Aldrich with a permanent aversion."
Henry Clapp included Aldrich's poetry in his columns of original poems, which usually appeared on the first page of the Saturday Press.
During Aldrich's association with the Press, he frequently missed receiving the advertising revenues because of his habit of sleeping later than Clapp.
Aldrich briefly contributed to the Saturday Press.
Curtis and Aldrich both spoke at the "Authors Reading" done by the friends of Longfellow for the Longfellow Memorial Fund.
Curtis had a break down in October of 1873. During this time, Aldrich filled in for him at Harper's.
Aldrich mentions in a letter to Stedman how much he enjoys Emerson's Bacchus.
Goodrich, O'Brien, and Brougham collaborated on a play entitled The Dark Hour Before Dawn to be performed for a benefit.
Howells and Aldrich were among the speakers at the "Authors' Reading" done by the friends of Longfellow for the Longfellow Memorial Fund.
Howells reviewed Aldrich's poetry in the Saturday Press.
O'Brien was one of the assistant co-editors of The Saturday Press with Aldrich and Winter for the years 1858-1860 (290).
Aldrich and O'Brien, "applied, almost simultaneously" to be the Aid of General Lander, leader of the New York Seventh Regiment, in April, 1862. Aldrich initially won the appointment, but the letter with his assignment to be delivered to Portsmouth never reached him, so the appointment went to O'Brien.
In 1865, J.R. Osgood offered Aldrich the editorship of Every Saturday.
Aldrich readily accepted Osgood's invitation to 'the Hub' and to the editorship of Every Saturday.
He received "backhanded praise" from Whitman for his "poetic 'tinkles.'"
N.P. Willis offered Aldrich an editorial position at the Home Journal when Aldrich was nineteen.
Some poems Aldrich submitted to the Home Journal caught the attention of N. P. Willis, the editor, who introduced them to his readers in a very flattering manner.
Aldrich's poetry is compared to Winter's: "Mr. Aldrich's dainty love-songs caught the popular ear before the sadder sighing of Mr. Winter's muse."
Winter claims of Aldrich, "No sweeter lyrical poet has appeared in America."
Booth introduced Aldrich to his future wife. Mrs. Aldrich admired Booth very much for his acting skills and fine personality. Later, the Booths and the Aldrichs became close friends and attended parties together(1-5). At a party, Booth contradicted a girl's supposed description of Aldrich's appearance (18-19). Aldrich often sat in Booth's box at the theater with Launt Thompson (25). Beginning February 9, 1863, Aldrich looked after Booth during a theatrical engagement in New York at Mrs. Booth's request (29-33). After Lincoln's assassination by Booth's brother, Aldrich was one of a group of friends who waited at Booth's New York home for his arrival. Aldrich stayed by Booth's side until and after his brother was caught (74-75).
Aldrich dedicates a book to his friend and comrade Edwin Booth.
Booth is considered a member of Aldrich's closer circle of friends (38). Aldrich came to Booth's aid after his brother John Wilkes assasinated President Lincoln (72-73).
Winter states that Booth and Aldrich had been good friends, and dedicates his book on Booth to Aldrich.
In London, Mr. and Mrs. Aldrich renewed their friendship with George Boughton and his wife. Mrs. Aldrich describes Boughton as a "Royal Academician and charming artist."
Aldrich and Curtis were close friends, and in a letter to Stedman, Aldrich describes Curtis as "irreplaceable."
Aldrich discusses in a Oct. 31, 1893 letter from Ponkapog to Laurence Hutton how Emerson and Whittier were the only members of their group not thinking solely of themselves.
House traveled with Aldrich to Washington.
Shortly after starting his new position in Boston at Every Saturday, Aldrich became friends with William Dean Howells, then an assistant editor at the Atlantic Monthly (87). One month after receiving a note from Howells announcing that "I have a fine boy," Aldrich sent him a letter on September 18, announcing, "I have TWO fine boys" (118).
In a letter to Taylor, Aldrich discusses his new friendship with Howells.
Howells claimed that to be published in the Saturday Press was to be in Aldrich's "company."
Aldrich and Howells were members of John Boyle O'Reilly's Papyrus Club together in Boston.
Aldrich quotes Jefferson in a letter to W.H. Mabie and refers to him as "dear old Joe."
Winter mentions that Mullen attended Fitz-James O'Brien's funeral along with Frank Wood and Thomas Bailey Aldrich and states that they all rode in the coach together.
Greenslet states that "Of the group that failed to come through, perhaps the most engaging personality, and the one dearest to Aldrich, was Fitz James O'Brien" (38).
Greenslet claims there are "numerous memorabilia" of the "warm, peppery friendship between Aldrich and O'Brien." Greenslet cites and anecdote that Aldrich used to tell about how O'Brien borrowed $40 dollars from him to buy a suit of clothes and then used it to buy a dinner to which Aldrich was not invited. At one point, due to some misunderstanding, O'Brien challenged Aldrich to a duel, which Aldrich managed to resolve by claiming that it was in violation of the "punctillo of the duello" to challenge someone to a duel when one owed the other money (40).
Greenlset also cites an anecdote that Aldrich told that when Aldrich was staying at 105 Clinton Place, "in the absence of the Frost family," O'Brien suggested they live for a week in the "Venitian manner," in which they would "sleep all day and live all night." The two attempted this lifestyle for a while, "exploring the streets all night and going to bed at seven A.M., but it seems soon to have palled on them" (40-1).
Aldrich recalled that when he first met O'Brien, "he was trimming the wick of 'The Lantern,' the paper started by Brougham (76).
Winter mentions a letter he received from Aldrich in 1880 in which "Aldrich, in his serio-comic way, mentions facts about O'Brien that help to make more distinct the image of his erratic personality and the story of his wayward career."
Aldrich and O'Brien were among A.D. Shattuck's closest friends, and Aldrich was the best man at Shattuck's wedding.
Stedman writes a letter welcoming Aldrich home after six months abroad (219).
Aldrich writes a letter to Stedman expressing his sorrow over the loss of his friend Bayard Taylor (224).
Aldrich wrote in a letter to Stedman about Boston, "In the six years I have been here, I have found seven or eight hearts so full of noble things that there is no room in them for such trifles as envy and conceit and insincerity. I didn't find more than two or three such in New York, and I lived there fifteen years. It was an excellent school for me-to get out of!"
Aldrich is mentioned to have shared sentiments with his friend Stedman when he "looked back with incredulity at his Bohemian days at Pfaff's."
In late 1862/early 1863, Aldrich worked as the editor of the Illustrated News and visited the Stoddards from time to time.
"In late 1862/early 1863, Aldrich worked as the editor of the Illustrated News and visited the Stoddards from time to time."
During the summer of 1859, Aldrich informed Stoddard that he was working on a short novel called "Glass Houses," which he was unsure as to when he would complete -- the novel would remain unfinished (46).
Greenslet reprints Aldrich's correspondence with "Dick" during August, 1860 on pp. 50-51; Alrich says he has a lot to tell him and "Lizzy" (50-1).
Greenslet also prints a letter to both "Dick and Lizzy" from August 1861, in which he talks about Lizzy's novel and promises to visit them soon (55).
Taylor wrote a sonnet for Aldrich's marriage to Miss Woodman on November 28, 1865 (85).
Mrs. Aldrich discusses Taylor seeing them off on the Abyssinia when the Aldriches went abroad and how he brought them his own cure for seasickness (162-164).
Aldrich writes a letter expressing his sorrow over Bayard Taylor's death (224).
The second sonnet, entitled "Three Flowers," is dedicated to Bayard Taylor (91).
Aldrich wrote in a letter to Taylor about Boston, "I miss my few dear friends in New York-but that is all. There is a finer intellectual atmosphere here than in our city....The people of Boston are full-blooded readers, appreciative, trained."
Bayard was a member of Aldrich's "nearer circle of contemporaries" during his experience in the "Literary Bohemia" in New York (38).
Aldrich mentions in a letter to Howells dated Dec. 13,1876, that he received a letter from Taylor that was "so full of affection and unaffectedness that I am ashamed to love him with only all my heart (129).
Greenslet claims Taylor's death death brought "a keen sorrow" to Aldrich; Taylor had "gone abroad with his well-merited ministerial honors, never to return." Greenslet quotes a letter Aldrich wrote to a friend that discusses Taylor's death, "...My heart is heavy just now with the death of Bayard Taylor, my dear friend, without a cloud, for twenty-five years. It is like losing an arm. It is worse than that -- it is losing a loyal heart. He was a man without guile" (136). Greenselt reprints Aldrich's elegy for Taylor on pp. 136-137.
Greenslet reprints Aldrich's letters to Taylor on the following pages: 32-3,70-1, 73-5,81-3,103-4, 107-8, 125-127,129-132
Hemstreet discusses Taylor's first meeting and friendship with Stoddard. According to Hemstreet, at the time of their meeting, Taylor had already traveled across Europe on foot and had published his account of his trip in Views Afoot. At this time, Taylor was also one of several editors working for Greeley at the Tribune. Taylor and George Ripley wrote the paper's book criticisms. According to Hemstreet, "Views Afoot was the most popular book of its day when Stoddard walked into the Tribune office and introduced himself to the author, finding him very hard at work in a little pen of a room" (204-5). Taylor and Stoddard's friendship lasted thirty years. The two met on Saturdays at Taylor's small apartment where Taylor taught Stoddard to smoke and the men discussed literature and wrote poetry (206).
Mrs. Aldrich refers to Launt Thompson as "Mr. Aldrich's chum" (22). She also mentions that Thompson gave a plaster medallion of Aldrich to him as a wedding gift (58).
A collected edition of Aldrich's poetry to be published by Ticknor & Fields was "embellished with an exquisite steel engraving of the poet after the medallion by his friend Launt Thompson" (63).
Mark Twain was a dinner guest at the Aldrich's home. At that time, Mrs. Aldrich mistook Twain's speech patterns for intoxication (127-132).
Of Aldrich's wit, Twain once said: "Mr. Aldrich has never had his peer for prompt and pithy and humorous sayings." He further commented: "Aldrich is always brilliant; he can't help it; he is a fire opal set round with rose diamonds; when he is not speaking, you know that his dainty fancies are twinkling and glimmering around in him; when he speaks the diamonds flash. Yes, he is always brilliant; he will be brilliant in hell, you will see" (145).
Twain sent correspondence welcoming Aldrich home after six months abroad (219).
Aldrich enjoyed going to visit Willis at his home, Idlewild, on the Hudson River.
The author describes Winter as a member of Aldrich's "nearer circle of contemporaries" during his experience in the "Literary Bohemia" in New York.
Greenslet reprints some of Aldrich's letters to Winter (see pp. 29-30, 174-5)
Aldrich had a long friendship with William Winter and dedicated a poem to him in the Home Journal.
William Winter and Thomas Bailey Aldrich turned their backs upon Bohemianism and embraced standards of taste we call 'The Genteel Tradition'" (17).
In remembering his old friend, Winter reminisces about Aldrich's demeanor: "Aldrich, that fine genius [...] was, as ever, demure in his kindly satire and piquant in his spontaneous, playful wit" (124). Winter also describes their friendship as unproblematic and cites Aldrich's inscription on his collected works as proof of their mutual affection (133-136).
After three years at The Home Journal, Aldrich became involved in the Saturday Press. During his association with the Press, Aldrich frequently missed receiving the advertising revenues because of his habit of sleeping later than Clapp.
Greenslet states that when Aldrich worked for the Saturday Press, "the youthful associate editor seems to have served the paper faithfully" (45).
Greenslet claims that Aldrich did not take the failure of the Saturday Press in early 1860 terribly hard, as his relationship to the paper was an "elastic" one (48).
Aldrich is mentioned as having "editorial charge" of the Saturday Press.
Aldrich is mentioned as a member of the "'Pfaff group,' which assisted in the publication of the Saturday Press."
Aldrich is considered a member of Clapp's "cabinet" in the "Kingdom of Bohemia" and at the Saturday Press.
Aldrich wrote literary reviews for the newly founded Saturday Press.
A staff member of the Saturday Press whose job it was to write about new books, Aldrich was with the paper for three months.
Aldrich is mentioned as associate editor of the Saturday Press.
Starr writes that "Something like a revolution was afoot in the realm of journalism...Soon O'Brien, Aldrich, Thomson, Williams, and Stedman, together with others in Clapp's happy coterie [...] would take the field along with hundreds of other youths of like mind to participate in the greatest undertaking in the history of journalism."
Winter notes that when Clapp and Howland began the Saturday Press, on October 19, 1858, Aldrich was hired to do the book reviews. However, Aldrich only stayed with the paper for three months.
27 Memorial Drive West, Bethlehem, PA 18015