Periodicals

The bohemians of antebellum New York published regularly in the daily newspapers, literary weeklies, and monthly magazines that proliferated throughout the United States in the years leading up to the Civil War. Writers and artists at the beginnings of their careers published in periodicals as a way to build their reputations and attract the attention of book publishers. A number of the periodicals that began during this period, such as The New York Tribune and Harper's Monthly, became very successful and continued to be published well into the twentieth century. Many other periodicals, however, lasted only for a few years. Two such periodicals, The New York Saturday Press and Vanity Fair, began around the tables at Pfaff's bar. The Saturday Press ran from October 1858 until December 1860, and was briefly revived in August 1865 only to cease publication again in June 1866. Similarly, Vanity Fair began publishing in December 1859 and ended its run in July 1863. During that brief window, however, the two periodicals were a showcase for a variety of irreverent, playful, and socially savvy literary and artistic productions. Vanity Fair regularly featured illustrations and was primarily a humor magazine with a strong political bent; the Saturday Press was text-only and focused on literary and theatrical arts, as well as commentary on current events. When the Pfaff's bohemians no longer had Vanity Fair and the Saturday Press available to them as publication venues, many of them began contributing to The New York Leader, a weekly that ran from 1856 to 1871.

The Vault at Pfaff's provides scanned page images of the Saturday Press, Vanity Fair, and the Leader in an Islandora viewer. Poems, illustrations, and articles from the Saturday Press and Vanity Fair have been indexed, with metadata and abstracts searchable on the site. Selections from the Leader will be indexed at a later date. In addition, many pieces by and about the Pfaff's bohemians that appeared in periodicals such as Harper's, Putnam's, The Knickerbocker, and Frank Leslie's Paper have been indexed for searching and, where available, links have been provided to external websites that house scanned page images or transcriptions.

Use the form below to browse plays or visit the advanced search page for more options.

Hans Breitman. "A Ballad About de Rowties." Vanity Fair. (1860-9-1).
Anonymous. "Ho! for Paris." Vanity Fair. (1860-9-1).
Salsify, Viotima; EFM. "A Case of Real Distress." Vanity Fair. (1860-9-1).
Anonymous. "A Word in Mr. Raymond's Ear." Vanity Fair. (1860-9-1).
Anonymous. "[Editorial Notes]." Vanity Fair. (1860-9-1).
Anonymous. "Pity the Sorrows of a Poor Old Man." Vanity Fair. (1860-9-1).
Prime. "Mighty Moral." Vanity Fair. (1860-9-1).
Emerson, Ralph Waldo. "Culture." The Atlantic Monthly. Boston: Atlantic Monthly Co. (1860-9-1).
Anonymous. "An Arkansas Horse Ferry." Vanity Fair. (1860-9-1).
Spuytentuyful, Broadway; Mullen, EF. "The Telegraph Tour of Broadway Spuytentuyful and His Cousin, Peytona Randolph de Accomac." Vanity Fair. (1860-9-1).
Anonymous. "A Happy Thought." Vanity Fair. (1860-9-1).
Stephens. ""Three to One You Don't Get It"." Vanity Fair. (1860-9-1).
Anonymous. "The Last of the Japanese." Vanity Fair. (1860-9-1).
Anonymous. "The Church Militant." Vanity Fair. (1860-9-1).
Anonymous. "[Editorial Notes]." Vanity Fair. (1860-9-1).
O'Brien, F. J.. "The Sewing Bird." Harper's New Monthly Magazine. New York: Harper and Bros. (1860-9-1).
EFM. "The Bigots of Bergen." Vanity Fair. (1860-9-1).
Ludlow, Fitz Hugh. "The Cruise of the Two Deacons. A Tale in Eight Chapters [Chapters 6-8]." Harper's New Monthly Magazine. New York: Harper and Bros. (1860-9-1).
Anonymous. "[Editorial Notes]." Vanity Fair. (1860-9-1).
Anonymous. "[Editorial Notes]." Vanity Fair. (1860-9-1).
Anonymous. "General Intelligence." Vanity Fair. (1860-9-1).
V.F.. "Our Offer to the Prince." Vanity Fair. (1860-9-1).
Anonymous. "Punning Made Easy. Every Man His Own Punster." Vanity Fair. (1860-9-1).
HLS. "Luxurious." Vanity Fair. (1860-9-1).
Anonymous. "Touching Inskip." Vanity Fair. (1860-9-8).
Anonymous. "[Editorial Notes]." Vanity Fair. (1860-9-8).
Anonymous. "Stupendous Propserity." Vanity Fair. (1860-9-8).
EFM. "Paddy's Ode to the Prince." Vanity Fair. (1860-9-8).
Anonymous. "Our Poet's Corner." Vanity Fair. (1860-9-8).
Farmer, Jedidiah. "Cosmopolites Attention!." Vanity Fair. (1860-9-8).
HLS. "A Bad Business for Mr. McGilp, the Artist." Vanity Fair. (1860-9-8).
Anonymous. "At It Again." Vanity Fair. (1860-9-8).
Anonymous. "[Editorial Notes]." Vanity Fair. (1860-9-8).
Anonymous. "The Ballad of Captain Hicks." Vanity Fair. (1860-9-8).
Spuytentuyful, Broadway; Mullen. "The Telegraph Tour of Broadway Spuytentuyful and His Cousin, Peytona Randolph de Accomac." Vanity Fair. (1860-9-8).
Anonymous. "Feathered Spray." Vanity Fair. (1860-9-8).
Anonymous. "[Editorial Notes]." Vanity Fair. (1860-9-8).
Anonymous. "[Editorial Notes]." Vanity Fair. (1860-9-8).
Anonymous. "Prince-of-Whalesiana." Vanity Fair. (1860-9-8).
Le Botemy, P. H., M.D.. "The Authentic Account of the Resuscitation of Hicks." Vanity Fair. (1860-9-8).
Anonymous. "Professional Opinion." Vanity Fair. (1860-9-8).
Anonymous. "Startling Disclosure." Vanity Fair. (1860-9-8).
Stephens, HL. "Keeping Queer Company." Vanity Fair. (1860-9-8).
Anonymous. "Black Mail." Vanity Fair. (1860-9-8).
Bugbee, Emily Hewett. "Rain [for the New York Saturday Press]." New-York Saturday Press. (1860-9-11).
"Extracts from Buckle's History of Civilization." New-York Saturday Press. (1860-9-11).
"The Ebony Idol." New-York Saturday Press. (1860-9-11).
"The Eighth Commandment [New York Tribune]." New-York Saturday Press. (1860-9-11).
"[Editorial Comments]." New-York Saturday Press. (1860-9-11).
Todd, D. J.. "Silence Means Consent [written for the New York Saturday Press]." New-York Saturday Press. (1860-9-11).
Watson, J. W.. "Farr, Graydon and Co. [for the New York Saturday Press]." New-York Saturday Press. (1860-9-11).
"The World." New-York Saturday Press. (1860-9-11).
Gurowski [de Gurowski, Adam Count]. "Minor Experiences in America II [for the New York Saturday Press]." New-York Saturday Press. (1860-9-11).
Quelqu'un [Winter, William]. "Dramatic Feuilleton." New-York Saturday Press. (1860-9-11).
Browning, Elizabeth Barrett. "The Sword of Castruccio Castrucani [from the Independent, Aug. 20]." New-York Saturday Press. (1860-9-11).
Ward, Artemus. "Speech of Artemas Ward, M. W. G., M. S. M." New-York Saturday Press. (1860-9-11).
Gruey, Angie H.. "Keepsakes [for the New York Saturday Press]." New-York Saturday Press. (1860-9-11).
"Public and Private Servants." New-York Saturday Press. (1860-9-11).
"Another English Prince in America [from the New York Herald]." New-York Saturday Press. (1860-9-11).
Aldrich, Thomas Bailey. "Abbassa or Fatima." New-York Saturday Press. (1860-9-11).
Brewster, Annie. "They Meant No Harm [written for the New York Saturday Press]." New-York Saturday Press. (1860-9-11).
Blackwell, Anna. "The Man in the Iron Mask [from Once a Week, August 25]." New-York Saturday Press. (1860-9-15).
Shepherd, N. G.. "Lost Gertrude [for the New York Saturday Press]." New-York Saturday Press. (1860-9-15).
"Dr. Cumming Abroad [from the London Saturday Review, Sept. 1]." New-York Saturday Press. (1860-9-15).
Anonymous. "[Editorial Notes]." Vanity Fair. (1860-9-15).
Pantaloon, Peter. "Billy or not Billy-- That is the Question." Vanity Fair. (1860-9-15).
Anonymous. "[Editorial Notes]." Vanity Fair. (1860-9-15).
Anonymous. "A Bottle Imp." Vanity Fair. (1860-9-15).
Anonymous. "Something Gorgeous." Vanity Fair. (1860-9-15).
Stephens, HL. "In a Muddle." Vanity Fair. (1860-9-15).
Omega; Mullen. "Homes Worked by Steam." Vanity Fair. (1860-9-15).
Henry, James. "Dialogue Between a Stethoscopist and an Unborn Child." The New York Saturday Press. (1860-9-15).
"Leaves of Grass [from the National Quarterly Review]." New-York Saturday Press. (1860-9-15).
"Popular Doggerel." New-York Saturday Press. (1860-9-15).
"Mr. Spurgeon's Tour on the Continent [from Punch, Sept. 1]." New-York Saturday Press. (1860-9-15).
M. "A New Motive Power." Vanity Fair. (1860-9-15).
Anonymous. "[Editorial Notes]." Vanity Fair. (1860-9-15).
Gurowski [de Gurowski, Adam Count]. "Minor Experiences in America IV [for the New York Saturday Press]." New-York Saturday Press. (1860-9-15).
Anonymous. "A Wegetarian Song." Vanity Fair. (1860-9-15).
Anonymous. "Correspondence of Vanity Fair. A Little Plain Talk with Mr. Recorder Barnard, in the matter of Mr. Thomas J. Munday, Beast." Vanity Fair. (1860-9-15).
Anonymous. "Under the "Vagrant Act"." Vanity Fair. (1860-9-15).
Anonymous. "[Editorial Notes]." Vanity Fair. (1860-9-15).
HLS. "Oh, Thunder!." Vanity Fair. (1860-9-15).
Vanity Fair. "Vanity Fair to the "British Lion"." Vanity Fair. (1860-9-15).
Barber, Joseph. "Autumn Pictures [for the New York Saturday Press]." New-York Saturday Press. (1860-9-15).
Spuytentuyful, Broadway; Anonymous. "The Telegraph Tour of Broadway Spuytentuyful and His Cousin, Peytona Randolph de Accomac." Vanity Fair. (1860-9-15).
"Celestial Things." New-York Saturday Press. (1860-9-15).
Mullen. "Prince-of-Walesiana." Vanity Fair. (1860-9-15).
Quelqu'un [Winter, William]. "Dramatic Feuilleton." New-York Saturday Press. (1860-9-15).
Anonymous. "A Tight Little Island." Vanity Fair. (1860-9-15).
Bennett, Zelotes R.. "A Bachelor's Reverie [for the New York Saturday Press]." New-York Saturday Press. (1860-9-15).
Anonymous. "[Editorial Notes]." Vanity Fair. (1860-9-15).
Anonymous. "Ingenious." Vanity Fair. (1860-9-15).
Anonymous. "Curious if True." Vanity Fair. (1860-9-15).
Mullen, EF. "The New King of Yvetot." Vanity Fair. (1860-9-15).
Henry, James. "Shadow and Sunshine." New-York Saturday Press. (1860-9-15).
Clapp, Henry Jr.. "Freedom Not to Worship God." New-York Saturday Press. (1860-9-18).
"Beggars!." New-York Saturday Press. (1860-9-18).
"[As a penchant to Roscoe's wearisome life]." New-York Saturday Press. (1860-9-18).
"The Samaritans of the Police." New-York Saturday Press. (1860-9-18).
"A real literary curiosity has been brought." New-York Saturday Press. (1860-9-18).
"Brutal and Atrocious [from the Philadelphia Sunday Mercury, Sept. 2]." New-York Saturday Press. (1860-9-18).
Rowsell, E. P.. "Tom Langley's Visitors [From the Welcome Guest]." New-York Saturday Press. (1860-9-18).
Bigelow, John. "Mirabeau and Sophie: A visit to the Fort de Joux [from The Independent, 6 September]." New-York Saturday Press. (1860-9-18).
"Harvard College." New-York Saturday Press. (1860-9-18).
"The Retort Courteous, and the Lie Direct." New-York Saturday Press. (1860-9-18).
"The Ledger, apropos of a new edition of General Morris's works." New-York Saturday Press. (1860-9-18).
Quelqu'un [Winter, William]. "Dramatic Feuilleton." New-York Saturday Press. (1860-9-18).
Spooner, Lysander. "Majority System." New-York Saturday Press. (1860-9-18).
Arnold, George. "Farceur de Poete!." New-York Saturday Press. (1860-9-18).
"Gouraud's Philosophy of Tegumentary Tissue." New-York Saturday Press. (1860-9-18).
"Garibaldi: An Autobiography." New-York Saturday Press. (1860-9-18).
"A Flash in the Pan." New-York Saturday Press. (1860-9-18).
"During the progress of the present muscle mania." New-York Saturday Press. (1860-9-18).
Gurowski [de Gurowski, Adam Count]. "Minor Experiences in America, [part III]." New-York Saturday Press. (1860-9-18).
Henry, James. "Wordsworth and the Pig." New-York Saturday Press. (1860-9-18).
du Couret, I.. "The Ordeal [from Life in the Desert or Recollections of Travel in Asia and Africa, translated from the French by Mr. C. D. Shapley]." New-York Saturday Press. (1860-9-18).
Spuytentuyful, Broadway; Anonymous. "The Telegraph Tour of Broadway Spuytentuyful and His Cousin, Peytona Randolph de Accomac." Vanity Fair. (1860-9-22).
O'Brien, Fitz-James. "Battledores." New-York Saturday Press. (1860-9-22).
Anonymous. "Experimental." Vanity Fair. (1860-9-22).
Anonymous. "The Two Spirits." Vanity Fair. (1860-9-22).
"The 'Saturday Press' and Colored Waiters and Slave Worship [from The Weekly Anglo-African]." New-York Saturday Press. (1860-9-22).
Anonymous. "Correspondence of Vanity Fair." Vanity Fair. (1860-9-22).
"The World is Out Of Joint." New-York Saturday Press. (1860-9-22).
Anonymous. "Touchstone in the Tabernacle." Vanity Fair. (1860-9-22).
Mullen, EF. "[Untitled]." Vanity Fair. (1860-9-22).
Quelqu'un [Winter, William]. "Dramatic Feuilleton." New-York Saturday Press. (1860-9-22).
"The Spread Eagle in England [from the Liverpool Post, August 31]." New-York Saturday Press. (1860-9-22).
CDS. "Modern Witchcraft." Vanity Fair. (1860-9-22).
Taylor, Bayard. "The Quaker Widow [from Harper's Monthly for October]." New-York Saturday Press. (1860-9-22).
Whittier, John G.. "The Summons [from the Atlantic Monthly for October]." New-York Saturday Press. (1860-9-22).
Anonymous. "Prince of Walesiana." Vanity Fair. (1860-9-22).
Anonymous. "The Spirit of the Times." Vanity Fair. (1860-9-22).
"Private Libraries of New York [from Vanity Fair]." New-York Saturday Press. (1860-9-22).
Anonymous. "A Singular Craft." Vanity Fair. (1860-9-22).
"A Wordy War." New-York Saturday Press. (1860-9-22).
Anonymous. "Perennial Jokes." Vanity Fair. (1860-9-22).
Gurowski [de Gurowski, Adam Count]. "Minor Experiences in America V [for the New York Saturday Press]." New-York Saturday Press. (1860-9-22).
"Architectural Criticism in the Daily Press [from the Architects' and Mechanics' Journal]." New-York Saturday Press. (1860-9-22).
M. "Weiss-Beer." Vanity Fair. (1860-9-22).
Pantaloon, Peter; Anonymous. "The Independent Independent." Vanity Fair. (1860-9-22).
"The American: A Mysterious Prisoner in Naples [translated from the Paris 'Siecle' for the Anti-Slavery Standard]." New-York Saturday Press. (1860-9-22).
Anonymous. "Multum in Parvo." Vanity Fair. (1860-9-22).
Anonymous. "[Editorial Notes]." Vanity Fair. (1860-9-22).
"Alexander Dumas and Garibaldi [from the Philadelphia Press]." New-York Saturday Press. (1860-9-22).
Stephens. "Aminadab Sleek at Jones' Wood." Vanity Fair. (1860-9-22).
Anonymous. "[Editorial Notes]." Vanity Fair. (1860-9-22).
"Everett's Life of Washington." New-York Saturday Press. (1860-9-22).
Anonymous. "A Pretty Critic!." Vanity Fair. (1860-9-22).
"Another Tug." New-York Saturday Press. (1860-9-22).
Anonymous. "Private Libraries of New York. The Second Edition." Vanity Fair. (1860-9-22).
Henry, James M. D.. "The Betrothed." New-York Saturday Press. (1860-9-22).
"New Institute of Fine Arts." The New-York Saturday Press. (1860-9-22).
HLS. "One of the Mysteries." Vanity Fair. (1860-9-22).
Anonymous. "An Entirely New and Perfectly Original American Comedy." Vanity Fair. (1860-9-29).
Dobell, Sydney. "He Loves and He Rides Away." New-York Saturday Press. (1860-9-29).
Anonymous. "[Editorial Notes]." Vanity Fair. (1860-9-29).
Browning, Elizabeth Barrett. "Summing Up in Italy [from the Independent]." New -York Saturday Press. (1860-9-29).
Mullen. "The Wide Awakes." Vanity Fair. (1860-9-29).
Anonymous. "[Editorial Notes]." Vanity Fair. (1860-9-29).
"The Prince at Harvard." New-York Saturday Press. (1860-9-29).
M. "Tomartyred." Vanity Fair. (1860-9-29).
Quelqu'un [Winter, William]. "Dramatic Feuilleton." New-York Saturday Press. (1860-9-29).
"The Fine Young Cuban Gentleman [from Vanity Fair, Sept. 29]." New-York Saturday Press. (1860-9-29).
Stephens. "Scan. Mag. at Washington." Vanity Fair. (1860-9-29).
Anonymous. "Been and Went and Had It Done." Vanity Fair. (1860-9-29).
Anonymous. "[Editorial Notes]." Vanity Fair. (1860-9-29).
Anonymous. "The Suez Canal." Vanity Fair. (1860-9-29).
Anonymous. "[Editorial Notes]." Vanity Fair. (1860-9-29).
"Religious Journalism [from the New York Tribune, September 22]." New-York Saturday Press. (1860-9-29).
Anonymous. "De Mortuis." Vanity Fair. (1860-9-29).
"Queen Victoria and the Prince of Wales [London Saturday Review]." New-York Saturday Press. (1860-9-29).
Spuytentuyful, Broadway; EFM. "The Telegraph Tour of Broadway Spuytentuyful and His Cousin, Peytona Randolph de Accomac." Vanity Fair. (1860-9-29).
Mullen. "Almost We Forgive the World." Vanity Fair. (1860-9-29).
Anonymous. "Girls or Bolsters--Which?." Vanity Fair. (1860-9-29).
"Gilding." New-York Saturday Press. (1860-9-29).
EFM. "Prince of Walesiana." Vanity Fair. (1860-9-29).
Gurowski [de Gurowski, Adam Count]. "Minor Experiences in America VI [for the New York Saturday Press]." New-York Saturday Press. (1860-9-29).
Anonymous. "The Renfrew Sprig." Vanity Fair. (1860-9-29).
Anonymous. "Ladies Attention!." Vanity Fair. (1860-9-29).
Anonymous. "[Editorial Notes]." Vanity Fair. (1860-9-29).
Anonymous. "Frightful Astuteness of our Police." Vanity Fair. (1860-9-29).
Shepherd, N. G.. "Stanzas." New-York Saturday Press. (1860-9-29).
Anonymous. "Stop Him!." Vanity Fair. (1860-9-29).
Reade, Charles. "Extracts from 'The Eighth Commandment'." New-York Saturday Press. (1860-9-29).
Anonymous. "The Fine Young Cuban Gentleman." Vanity Fair. (1860-9-29).
"The Eighth Commandment." New-York Saturday Press. (1860-9-29).
Collins, Mortimer. "Little Laurette." New-York Saturday Press. (1860-9-29).
Anonymous. "A Tail for the Times." Vanity Fair. (1860-9-29).
Anonymous. "A Letter from the Hermit." Vanity Fair. (1860-9-29).
Anonymous. "The World's Latest Kink." Vanity Fair. (1860-9-29).
Jenks, Lemuel. "A Missile from the Original Jenks." Vanity Fair. (1860-9-29).
Arnold, George. "Two Against One." Harper's New Monthly Magazine. (1860-10-1).
Anonymous. "Imported Dogs." Vanity Fair. (1860-10-6).
Anonymous. "Our Correspondence." Vanity Fair. (1860-10-6).
Anonymous. "Something Like a Chance." Vanity Fair. (1860-10-6).
Anonymous. "Stupendous Enterprise." Vanity Fair. (1860-10-6).
Anonymous. "Trouble Again at the Central Park." Vanity Fair. (1860-10-6).
Doolady, Pybus. "Drug Literature." Vanity Fair. (1860-10-6).
Anonymous. ""Precisely So."." Vanity Fair. (1860-10-6).