The Vault at Pfaff's

An Archive of Art and Literature by the Bohemians of Antebellum New York

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.

  • "New Books." Saturday Press. (1858-12-14).

  • "A Home Fancy [from the Dublin University Magazine]." Saturday Press. (1858-12-14).

  • Clapp, Henry Jr.. "A New Portrait of Paris: Painted from Life." New York Saturday Press. (1858-12-18).

  • "The Mount Vernon Association." New York Saturday Press. (1858-12-18).

  • B.G. "My Insane Friends." New York Saturday Press. (1858-12-18).

  • "Anecdote of Professor Agassie [from the Evening Post]." Saturday Press. (1858-12-18).

  • Aldrich, T.B.. "The Poet's Grave." New York Saturday Press. (1858-12-18).

  • O'Brien, Fitz-James. "Dramatic Feuilleton." New York Saturday Press. (1858-12-18).

  • "An Old Friend in a New Dress ; (Not by the Author of The Three Fishers)." New York Saturday Press. (1858-12-18).

  • Rogers, Nathaniel Peabody. "Wincobank-Hall and Went-Worth-House, England." New York Saturday Press. (1858-12-18).

  • "On Luxury." New York Saturday Press. (1858-12-18).

  • "Men of Literary Genius." New York Saturday Press. (1858-12-18).

  • W. H. F.. "Nantucket." New York Saturday Press. (1858-12-18).

  • Barber, Joseph. "King Christmas." New-York Saturday Press. (1858-12-24).

  • Clapp, Henry Jr.. "A New Portrait of Paris: Painted from Life." New York Saturday Press. (1858-12-25).

  • "Elegant Extract." New York Saturday Press. (1858-12-25).

  • "A Chinese Puff." New York Saturday Press. (1858-12-25).

  • "Notes on Noted Chess Authors." New York Saturday Press. (1858-12-25).

  • Hunt, Leigh. "Clubs." New York Saturday Press. (1858-12-25).

  • Coleridge, Samuel T.. "A Christmas Carol." New York Saturday Press. (1858-12-25).

  • H. C., Jr. [Clapp, Henry Jr.]. "Mount Vernon." New York Saturday Press. (1858-12-25).

  • "Mr. Bryant's Last." New York Saturday Press. (1858-12-25).

  • O'Brien, Fitz-James. "Dramatic Feuilleton." New York Saturday Press. (1858-12-25).

  • O'Brien, Fitz-James. "What Santa Claus Brought Me [from London Athenaeum]." New York Saturday Press. (1858-12-25).

  • "Lovejoy." New York Saturday Press. (1858-12-25).

  • O'Brien, Fitz-James. "Three of a Trade, or, Red Little Kriss Kringle." New York Saturday Press. (1858-12-25).

  • "In the City." New York Saturday Press. (1858-12-25).

  • S.. "What My Wife Said, and What I Thought but Didn't Say." New York Saturday Press. (1858-12-25).

  • "The Beauties of Greco." New York Saturday Press. (1858-12-25).

  • W. A.. "Sir Marmaduke Pole." New York Saturday Press. (1858-12-25).

  • O'Brien, Fitz-James. "The Ghosts." The Knickerbocker, or New-York Monthly Magazine. New York: John A. Gray. (1859-1-1).

  • "Echoes." New York Saturday Press. (1859-1-11).

  • "New Books." New York Saturday Press. (1859-1-11).

  • "December XXXI." New York Saturday Press. (1859-1-11).

  • Clapp, Henry Jr.. "A New Portrait of Paris: Painted from Life." New York Saturday Press. (1859-1-11).

  • "Japan and its People [from the English paper]." New York Saturday Press. (1859-1-11).

  • "[Editorial Comments]." New York Saturday Press. (1859-1-11).

  • "Pleasing Pictures." New York Saturday Press. (1859-1-11).

  • "Caricature of Henry Ward Beecher." New York Saturday Press. (1859-1-11).

  • "Art Items." New York Saturday Press. (1859-1-11).

  • Arnold, George. "Beer." New York Saturday Press. (1859-1-11).

  • "The Mysterious Face." New York Saturday Press. (1859-1-11).

  • "French Literary Dueling." New York Saturday Press. (1859-1-11).

  • Rousseau, Jean. "The Capture of Schamyl by Alexandre Dumas." New York Saturday Press. (1859-1-11).

  • "Gurowski [from the New York Tribune]." New York Saturday Press. (1859-1-11).

  • Artist. "The N. Y. Tribune at Fault." New York Saturday Press. (1859-1-11).

  • "A Chapter from 'Figaro'." New York Saturday Press. (1859-1-11).

  • "After-Dinner Quotation of President Buchanan." New York Saturday Press. (1859-1-11).

  • "Mount Vernon." New York Saturday Press. (1859-1-11).

  • O'Brien, Fitz-James. "Dramatic Feuilleton." New York Saturday Press. (1859-1-11).

  • Freeman, Anna Mary. "Transition." New York Saturday Press. (1859-1-11).

  • "Book Recommendations [from the Boston Courier]." New York Saturday Press. (1859-1-11).

  • Clapp, Henry Jr.. "Characteristics of the New York Saturday Press." New York Saturday Press. (1859-1-11).

  • Herbert, George. "Antiphon." New York Saturday Press. (1859-1-11).

  • Hammond, James. "Ode to a Tobacco Pipe." New York Saturday Press. (1859-1-11).

  • H. C. Jr. [Clapp, Henry Jr.]. "The Old Year." New York Saturday Press. (1859-1-11).

  • "The Old and the New." New York Saturday Press. (1859-1-11).

  • "New Feature of the Atlantic Monthly." New York Saturday Press. (1859-1-11).

  • "Literary Notes." New York Saturday Press. (1859-1-11).

  • M. E.. "The Christmas Hymn I Heard." New York Saturday Press. (1859-1-11).

  • "A Scarlet Cyclopedia." New York Saturday Press. (1859-1-15).

  • "Tricks and Traps of Publishers." New York Saturday Press. (1859-1-15).

  • "Societies. Meetings for the Coming Week." New York Saturday Press. (1859-1-15).

  • "The Gringe Family." New York Saturday Press. (1859-1-15).

  • Aldrich, T. B.. "The Tragedy." New-York Saturday Press. (1859-1-15).

  • "Ledger Literature." New York Saturday Press. (1859-1-15).

  • "The London Times." New York Saturday Press. (1859-1-15).

  • "Alarming." New York Saturday Press. (1859-1-15).

  • "Religion at a Premium." New York Saturday Press. (1859-1-15).

  • "Appletons' Dictionary of Popular Fallacies." New York Saturday Press. (1859-1-15).

  • O'Brien, Fitz-James. "Dramatic Feuilleton." New York Saturday Press. (1859-1-15).

  • "[Notices]." New York Saturday Press. (1859-1-15).

  • Hutton, William. "Passages from the Autobiography of Wm. Hutton." New York Saturday Press. (1859-1-15).

  • Arnold, George. "Youth and Age." New York Saturday Press. (1859-1-15).

  • "Old Books and Papers." New York Saturday Press. (1859-1-15).

  • "The Heavy Weights of the Press." New York Saturday Press. (1859-1-15).

  • "'An Honest Confession,' Etc." New York Saturday Press. (1859-1-15).

  • "Literary Notes." New York Saturday Press. (1859-1-15).

  • "Art Items." New York Saturday Press. (1859-1-15).

  • "New Books." New York Saturday Press. (1859-1-15).

  • Arabella. "Leaves from a Lady's Portfolio." New York Saturday Press. (1859-1-15).

  • M. E.. "Love's Gift." New York Saturday Press. (1859-1-15).

  • "[Notices]." New York Saturday Press. (1859-1-15).

  • Herrick, Robert. "The Kiss--A Dialogue." New York Saturday Press. (1859-1-18).

  • Wither, George. "Upon a Stolen Kiss." New York Saturday Press. (1859-1-18).

  • "A Reminiscence." New York Saturday Press. (1859-1-18).

  • Clapp, Henry Jr.. "Characteristics of the New York Saturday Press." New York Saturday Press. (1859-1-18).

  • "Literature of Wedded Love." New York Saturday Press. (1859-1-18).

  • "[We Continue to be pestered by people who, not]." New York Saturday Press. (1859-1-18).

  • "Mount Vernonism." New York Saturday Press. (1859-1-18).

  • "New Books." New York Saturday Press. (1859-1-18).

  • O'Brien, Fitz-James. "Dramatic Feuilleton." New York Saturday Press. (1859-1-18).

  • Jonson, Ben. "The Sweet Neglect." New York Saturday Press. (1859-1-18).

  • Carew, Thomas. "Mediocrity in Love Rejected." New York Saturday Press. (1859-1-18).

  • "A Souvenir of a Dinner." New York Saturday Press. (1859-1-18).

  • "The Pulpit Exhibiting on the Stage." New York Saturday Press. (1859-1-18).

  • Clapp, Henry Jr.. "A New Portrait of Paris: Painted from Life." New York Saturday Press. (1859-1-18).

  • O'Brien, Fitz-James. "January." New York Saturday Press. (1859-1-18).

  • "The Highways of the World." New York Saturday Press. (1859-1-18).

  • "[Notices]." New York Saturday Press. (1859-1-18).

  • "Books in Press." New York Saturday Press. (1859-1-18).

  • Emerson, R. W.. "The Snow-Storm." New York Saturday Press. (1859-1-18).

  • Southwell, Robert. "Times Go by Turns." New York Saturday Press. (1859-1-18).

  • The Earl of Roscommon. "A Poet must Feel what he Writes." New York Saturday Press. (1859-1-18).

  • "A Little While." New York Saturday Press. (1859-1-18).

  • "Oh, If My Love Were Dead." New York Saturday Press. (1859-1-18).

  • Thomas the Rhymer. "The Fable of St. Anthony." New York Saturday Press. (1859-1-18).

  • "Boston News." New York Saturday Press. (1859-1-18).

  • "Literary Notes." New York Saturday Press. (1859-1-18).

  • "Art Items." New York Saturday Press. (1859-1-18).

  • Quarles, Francis. "Delight in God Only." New York Saturday Press. (1859-1-18).

  • "French Anagram." New-York Saturday Press. (1859-1-22).

  • "Art Items." New-York Saturday Press. (1859-1-22).

  • "The New Canadian Coins [from the London Globe]." New-York Saturday Press. (1859-1-22).

  • Thackeray, W[illiam]. M[akepeace].. "Prefaces and Dedications." New-York Saturday Press. (1859-1-22).

  • Bachelor. "What I Think of Sunrises." New-York Saturday Press. (1859-1-22).

  • "A Chapter on Eyes [from Chambers's Journal]." New-York Saturday Press. (1859-1-22).

  • "Harper's New Monthly: No. cv. February 1859." New-York Saturday Press. (1859-1-22).

  • "My Subjects." New-York Saturday Press. (1859-1-22).

  • "Poor Punch!." New-York Saturday Press. (1859-1-22).

  • O'Brien, Fitz-James. "Dramatic Feuilleton: The Veteran." New-York Saturday Press. (1859-1-22).

  • James, William. "Shakespeare's Will." New-York Saturday Press. (1859-1-22).

  • "Literary Notes." New-York Saturday Press. (1859-1-22).

  • "A Valuable Work." New-York Saturday Press. (1859-1-22).

  • "[Notices]." New-York Saturday Press. (1859-1-22).

  • Stoddard, R. H.. "A Woman's Poem [Harper's Monthly for February]." New-York Saturday Press. (1859-1-22).

  • "The Photographer from Rafaelle's Cartoons [from the London Time]." New-York Saturday Press. (1859-1-22).

  • Giles, Henry. "Joy in Writing: A Railroad Meditation." New-York Saturday Press. (1859-1-22).

  • Goldbeck, Robert. "A Musical Conservatory in New York." New-York Saturday Press. (1859-1-22).

  • Sweat, Mrs. M. J. M.. "Love's Calendar." New-York Saturday Press. (1859-1-29).

  • "Jane Eyre." New-York Saturday Press. (1859-1-29).

  • "Miss Freeman's Readings from the Poets." New-York Saturday Press. (1859-1-29).

  • O'Brien, Fitz-James. "Dramatic Feuilleton." New-York Saturday Press. (1859-1-29).

  • "Books in Press." New-York Saturday Press. (1859-1-29).

  • "Who Seems to Please [translated from Michael Angelo]." New-York Saturday Press. (1859-1-29).

  • "Personal Habits of Thomas De Quincy [North American Review]." New-York Saturday Press. (1859-1-29).

  • D. W. C.. "Ice! Ice!." New-York Saturday Press. (1859-1-29).

  • "Quakers Again." New-York Saturday Press. (1859-1-29).

  • Mohammed. "A Turkish View of Christian Churches [from No. X of an admirable series of papers in the N. Y. Evening Post]." New-York Saturday Press. (1859-1-29).

  • Arnold, George. "On the Sands." New-York Saturday Press. (1859-1-29).

  • "Mercantile Agencies; or, The Japanese Spy-System in New York." New-York Saturday Press. (1859-1-29).

  • "New Dodge." New-York Saturday Press. (1859-1-29).

  • "Literary Notes." New-York Saturday Press. (1859-1-29).

  • Taylor, Bayard. "The Palm and the Pine." New-York Saturday Press. (1859-1-29).

  • "American Scenery [from The Century]." New-York Saturday Press. (1859-1-29).

  • "Charles B. Huntington [from the N. Y. Tribune]." New-York Saturday Press. (1859-1-29).

  • "Edward Everett Writes for Bonner." New-York Saturday Press. (1859-1-29).

  • Veritas. "Alleged Changes in English Quakerism." New-York Saturday Press. (1859-1-29).

  • M. E.. "Baby Louise." New-York Saturday Press. (1859-1-29).

  • "Man and His Dwelling Place: A Forthcoming Contribution to Science, Philosophy, and Religion." New-York Saturday Press. (1859-1-29).

  • "Moral Statistics." New-York Saturday Press. (1859-1-29).

  • "Libraries in New York." New-York Saturday Press. (1859-1-29).

  • "[Notices]." New-York Saturday Press. (1859-1-29).

  • "New Books." New-York Saturday Press. (1859-1-29).

  • "Life Assurance." New-York Saturday Press. (1859-1-29).

  • "A New Dictionary." New-York Saturday Press. (1859-1-29).

  • "[Notice]." New-York Saturday Press. (1859-1-29).

  • Clapp, Henry Jr.. "Characteristics of the N. Y. Saturday Press." New-York Saturday Press. (1859-1-29).

  • "Decay of Quakerism [from the London Times]." New-York Saturday Press. (1859-1-29).

  • "Lady Hester Stanhope." New-York Saturday Press. (1859-1-29).

  • "The Beautiful Snow." New-York Saturday Press. (1859-2-12).

  • De Grove, Hester S.. "Unrest." New-York Saturday Press. (1859-2-12).

  • "The Farceurs of the Academy of Medicine [from the N. Y. Herald]." New-York Saturday Press. (1859-2-12).

  • Flash, H. L.. "Damned." New-York Saturday Press. (1859-2-12).

  • Stoddard, R. H.. "In Sight of the Harem." New-York Saturday Press. (1859-2-12).

  • Personne [Wilkins, Edward G. P.]. "Dramatic Feuilleton." New-York Saturday Press. (1859-2-12).

  • Miss Pardoe. "An Evening at La Malmaison [from 'Episodes of French History during the Consulate and the First Empire']." New-York Saturday Press. (1859-2-12).

  • J. C.. "The Three Great Epic Poets." New-York Saturday Press. (1859-2-12).

  • "The Japanese Book System." New-York Saturday Press. (1859-2-12).

  • "Death, Chemically Considered." New-York Saturday Press. (1859-2-12).

  • "American Numismatic Society." New-York Saturday Press. (1859-2-12).

  • "Our Politics." New-York Saturday Press. (1859-2-12).

  • "The Saturday Press Book-List." New-York Saturday Press. (1859-2-12).

  • Clapp, Henry Jr.. "Characteristics of the N. Y. Saturday Press." New-York Saturday Press. (1859-2-12).

  • An Investigator. "Neo-electropathy." New-York Saturday Press. (1859-2-12).

  • Cromwell, Ruth N.. "The Castle of Air." New-York Saturday Press. (1859-2-12).

  • "Ruskin on Turner." New-York Saturday Press. (1859-2-12).

  • "[Notices]." New-York Saturday Press. (1859-2-12).

  • "[Notices]." New-York Saturday Press. (1859-2-12).

  • A Disbanded Volunteer. "Seven Seens in a Rowdy's History." New-York Saturday Press. (1859-2-12).

  • Buchanan, James. "The President's Message." New-York Saturday Press. (1859-2-15).

  • Carlyle, T[homas].. "Carlyle on Rewards and Punishments." New -York Saturday Press. (1859-2-15).

  • "Extracts from New Publications [from Bentley's Miscellany]." New-York Saturday Press. (1859-2-15).

  • "Cupid and Psyche [from the German of Heine]." New-York Saturday Press. (1859-2-15).

  • "Can it Be Everett?." New-York Saturday Press. (1859-2-15).

  • M. B.. "Why I Took to Embroidering." New-York Saturday Press. (1859-2-15).

  • "The Saturday Press Book List." New-York Saturday Press. (1859-2-15).

  • Ruskin, John. "Ruskin's Inaugural Address [at the opening of the Cambridge School of Art; delivered at Cambridge, (Eng.), Oct. 29, 1858." New-York Saturday Press. (1859-2-15).

  • Hastings, Euston. "Labories Umbratiles [Sic.][from the Cleveland Plain Dealer]." New-York Saturday Press. (1859-2-15).

  • Arabella. "Leaves from a Lady's Portfolio." New-York Saturday Press. (1859-2-15).

  • The G. U.-. "Shakespeare's 'Sonnets'." New-York Saturday Press. (1859-2-15).

  • "Douglas Jerrold at Home [from the Life and Remains of Douglas Jerrold]." New-York Saturday Press. (1859-2-15).

  • "Outcast Poetry." New-York Saturday Press. (1859-2-15).

  • W. H. F.. "Two Places of Amusement." New-York Saturday Press. (1859-2-15).

  • Lord Lindsay. "Mr. Bright and the Aristocracy." New-York Saturday Press. (1859-2-15).

  • "Art Items." New-York Saturday Press. (1859-2-15).

  • "The New Crystal Palace." New-York Saturday Press. (1859-2-15).

  • Clapp, Henry Jr.. "Characteristics of the N. Y. Saturday Press." New-York Saturday Press. (1859-2-15).

  • "Political Music." New-York Saturday Press. (1859-2-15).

  • "A Bellicose Pamphlet." New-York Saturday Press. (1859-2-15).