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 Publications." New York Saturday Press. (1859-4-19).
"One Thing and Another." New York Saturday Press. (1859-4-19).
"Art Items." New York Saturday Press. (1859-4-19).
Saxe, John G.. "John G. Saxe Furnishes the following sketch to the Boston Post." New-York Saturday Press. (1859-4-19).
Doker, Geo. H.. "Multa Gemens." New York Saturday Press. (1859-4-19).
Warren. "Correspondence." New York Saturday Press. (1859-4-19).
[Whipple, Edwin P.]. "Lowell Institute. Mr. Whipple's Fifth Lecture." New York Saturday Press. (1859-4-19).
"The Sickles-Farce at Washington." New York Saturday Press. (1859-4-19).
"Newspapers." New York Saturday Press. (1859-4-19).
"Political." New York Saturday Press. (1859-4-19).
"Fanny Fern." New York Saturday Press. (1859-4-19).
"The Woman Who Lives Without Eating." New York Saturday Press. (1859-4-19).
Clapp, Henry Jr.. "Characteristics of the New York Saturday Press." New York Saturday Press. (1859-4-19).
"[Notice]." New York Saturday Press. (1859-4-19).
Benson, Carl. "Tom Taylor, Author of 'Our American Cousin,' etc." New York Saturday Press. (1859-4-19).
"The Cooper Institute." New York Saturday Press. (1859-4-19).
Personne [Wilkins, Edward G. P.]. "Dramatic Feuilleton." New York Saturday Press. (1859-4-19).
Cary, Phoebe. "Martha Hopkins." New York Saturday Press. (1859-4-19).
"The Hearthstone Club." New York Saturday Press. (1859-4-19).
"The Saturday Press Book-List." New York Saturday Press. (1859-4-19).
"'It's a Poor Rule,' Etc." New York Saturday Press. (1859-4-23).
"Sir Edward Bulwer Lytton." New York Saturday Press. (1859-4-23).
"Curious Optical Phenomenon." New York Saturday Press. (1859-4-23).
"The Saturday Press Book-List." New York Saturday Press. (1859-4-23).
M. E.. "Unto the Pure All Things Are Pure." New York Saturday Press. (1859-4-23).
"The Saturday Press." New York Saturday Press. (1859-4-23).
"[Notices]." New York Saturday Press. (1859-4-23).
"[Notices]." New York Saturday Press. (1859-4-23).
"Contents of Magazines." New York Saturday Press. (1859-4-23).
"A Chinese Theatre." New York Saturday Press. (1859-4-23).
Aldrich, T. B.. "Hanged by the Neck [from Harpers' Weekly]." New York Saturday Press. (1859-4-23).
"The Great Farce." New York Saturday Press. (1859-4-23).
Personne [Wilkins, Edward G. P.]. "Dramatic Feuilleton." New York Saturday Press. (1859-4-23).
"New Publications." New York Saturday Press. (1859-4-23).
[Whipple, Edwin P.]. "Lowell Institute. Mr. Whipple's Seventh Lecture." New York Saturday Press. (1859-4-23).
"The Confession of Mrs. Sickles, and How it was Extorted from Her [from the Sunday Courier]." New York Saturday Press. (1859-4-23).
Clapp, Henry Jr.. "Characteristics of the New York Saturday Press." New York Saturday Press. (1859-4-23).
Gurowski [de Gurowski, Adam Count]. "The New American Cyclopaedia [from the N. Y. Evening Post]." New York Saturday Press. (1859-4-23).
"National Academy of Design." New York Saturday Press. (1859-4-23).
Ould, Robert. "The Sickles Indictment." New York Saturday Press. (1859-4-30).
"Female Horticultural School." New York Saturday Press. (1859-4-30).
"Literary Notes." New York Saturday Press. (1859-4-30).
"Now Go It!." New York Saturday Press. (1859-4-30).
"Changes." New York Saturday Press. (1859-4-30).
"The Dark Hour Before Dawn." New York Saturday Press. (1859-4-30).
"Kirke White's Birthplace." New York Saturday Press. (1859-4-30).
"The Saturday Press Book-List." New York Saturday Press. (1859-4-30).
Farmenter, Frederick A.. "At Vespers in the Cathedral." New York Saturday Press. (1859-4-30).
"Bennett on the Sickles-Farce." New York Saturday Press. (1859-4-30).
"[Notices]." New York Saturday Press. (1859-4-30).
"One Thing and Another." New York Saturday Press. (1859-4-30).
"Geographical Society." New York Saturday Press. (1859-4-30).
"Removals." New York Saturday Press. (1859-4-30).
Willis, N. P.. "Prologue to The Dark Hour Before Dawn." New York Saturday Press. (1859-4-30).
"The Spring Fever [from the Ohio State Journal]." New York Saturday Press. (1859-4-30).
Shepherd, N. G.. "Perdita." New York Saturday Press. (1859-4-30).
"New Candidate for the Presidency." New York Saturday Press. (1859-4-30).
"Art Items." New York Saturday Press. (1859-4-30).
"New Publications." New York Saturday Press. (1859-4-30).
"Woman Versus Woman." New York Saturday Press. (1859-4-30).
Personne [Wilkins, Edward G. P.]. "Dramatic Feuilleton." New York Saturday Press. (1859-4-30).
"[Notice]." New York Saturday Press. (1859-4-30).
Robinson, Jack. "In and About Boston." New York Saturday Press. (1859-4-30).
Clapp, Henry Jr.. "Characteristics of the New York Saturday Press." New York Saturday Press. (1859-4-30).
"Poems of Thomas Bailey Aldrich." Southern Literary Messenger. Richmond, Virginia: T.W. White. (1859-5-1).
Brannan, Wm. P. "Phantom-Wooing." New York Saturday Press. (1859-5-14).
"Rare Books at Auction." New York Saturday Press. (1859-5-14).
"The Saturday Press Book-List." New York Saturday Press. (1859-5-14).
"Our Weekly Book-List." New York Saturday Press. (1859-5-14).
"[Notice]." New York Saturday Press. (1859-5-14).
"New Publications." New York Saturday Press. (1859-5-14).
"[Notices]." New York Saturday Press. (1859-5-14).
Arnold, George. "Laziness." New York Saturday Press. (1859-5-14).
G. M.. "Trials and Triumphs. A Lay of the Law." New York Saturday Press. (1859-5-14).
Chesebro, Caroline. "The Last Sleep of Howenstien." New York Saturday Press. (1859-5-14).
"[The Grand Horticultural Festival at the Palace]." New York Saturday Press. (1859-5-14).
"One Thing and Another." New York Saturday Press. (1859-5-14).
Personne [Wilkins, Edward G. P.]. "Dramatic Feuilleton." New York Saturday Press. (1859-5-14).
Childs, B. G.. "What Argufies Whim'ring and Whining?." New York Saturday Press. (1859-5-14).
[Whipple, Edwin P.]. "Lowell Institute. Mr. Whipple's Ninth Lecture." New York Saturday Press. (1859-5-14).
"[Two centuries and a half ago Shakespeare put the]." New York Saturday Press. (1859-5-14).
Giles, Henry. "Books of the Day." New York Saturday Press. (1859-5-14).
Swinton, William. "The Assyrian Sculptures in the New York Historical Society." New York Saturday Press. (1859-5-14).
"Chess." New York Saturday Press. (1859-5-14).
"Death of Dr. Henry Abbot." New York Saturday Press. (1859-5-14).
Clapp, Henry Jr.. "Characteristics of the New York Saturday Press." New York Saturday Press. (1859-5-17).
Bourcicault, Dion. "Douglas Jerrold." New York Saturday Press. (1859-5-17).
"Art Items." New York Saturday Press. (1859-5-17).
"National Academy of Design." New York Saturday Press. (1859-5-17).
"Literary Notes." New York Saturday Press. (1859-5-17).
"[Well, what's this precious bit of news,]." New York Saturday Press. (1859-5-17).
"Contents of Magazines." New York Saturday Press. (1859-5-17).
"Tea in Russia." New York Saturday Press. (1859-5-17).
"One Thing and Another." New York Saturday Press. (1859-5-17).
"Who Next?." New York Saturday Press. (1859-5-17).
"Old Books." New York Saturday Press. (1859-5-17).
Personne [Wilkins, Edward G. P.]. "Dramatic Feuilleton." New York Saturday Press. (1859-5-17).
"New Publications." New York Saturday Press. (1859-5-17).
"The Saturday Press Book-List." New York Saturday Press. (1859-5-17).
Edmonds, J. W.. "Judge Edmonds on Spiritualism-III." New York Saturday Press. (1859-5-17).
"The Heart of the Andes." New York Saturday Press. (1859-5-17).
"What Next?." New York Saturday Press. (1859-5-17).
"Spiritualism." New York Saturday Press. (1859-5-17).
"Ode to Spring. Written in a Lawyer's Office." New York Saturday Press. (1859-5-17).
[Whipple, Edwin P.]. "Lowell Institute. Mr. Whipple's Eight Lecture." New York Saturday Press. (1859-5-17).
"One Thing and Another." New York Saturday Press. (1859-5-21).
"Personal." New York Saturday Press. (1859-5-21).
"The War--Among the Editors." New York Saturday Press. (1859-5-21).
"In Memoriam." New York Saturday Press. (1859-5-21).
"Art Items." New York Saturday Press. (1859-5-21).
"The Saturday Press Book-List." New York Saturday Press. (1859-5-21).
"Literary Notes." New York Saturday Press. (1859-5-21).
"Scientific Items." New York Saturday Press. (1859-5-21).
"Forms of Books." New York Saturday Press. (1859-5-21).
Personne [Wilkins, Edward G. P.]. "Dramatic Feuilleton." New York Saturday Press. (1859-5-21).
"A Cure- Not by the Doctors." New York Saturday Press. (1859-5-21).
Stoddard, Mrs. R. H.. "One of the Days of My Life." New York Saturday Press. (1859-5-21).
Brougham, John. "The Game of Tyrants." New York Saturday Press. (1859-5-21).
"A Hopeful Convert." New York Saturday Press. (1859-5-21).
"Report." New York Saturday Press. (1859-5-21).
"New Publications." New York Saturday Press. (1859-5-21).
"The Hearthstone Club [from the N. Y. Times]." New York Saturday Press. (1859-5-21).
"Personal." New York Saturday Press. (1859-5-28).
Brannan, Wm. P. "Alice." New York Saturday Press. (1859-5-28).
Ewbank, Thomas. "Peruvian Antiquities." New York Saturday Press. (1859-5-28).
"Religious Delusions." New York Saturday Press. (1859-5-28).
"Contents of Magazines." New York Saturday Press. (1859-5-28).
Personne [Wilkins, Edward G. P.]. "Dramatic Feuilleton." New York Saturday Press. (1859-5-28).
Edmonds, J. W.. "Judge Edmonds on Spiritualism-IV." New York Saturday Press. (1859-5-28).
"The Saturday Press Book-List." New York Saturday Press. (1859-5-28).
Winter, William. "An Ideal." New York Saturday Press. (1859-5-28).
"National Academy of Design." New York Saturday Press. (1859-5-28).
"[Editorial Comments]." New York Saturday Press. (1859-5-28).
"The Broadwegian." New York Saturday Press. (1859-5-28).
"New Publications." New York Saturday Press. (1859-5-28).
"[Notices]." New York Saturday Press. (1859-5-28).
"The Testimonials to Paul Morphy." New York Saturday Press. (1859-5-28).
Shepherd, N. G.. "The Human Heart." New York Saturday Press. (1859-5-28).
Farmenter, Frederick A.. "Dandelions." New York Saturday Press. (1859-5-28).
"Art Items." New York Saturday Press. (1859-5-28).
"Toadyism." New York Saturday Press. (1859-5-28).
"Literary Notes." New York Saturday Press. (1859-5-28).
"The War--How It Came About." New York Saturday Press. (1859-5-28).
"Love Me Little, Love Me Long!." New York Saturday Press. (1859-5-28).
"The Cooper Union." New York Saturday Press. (1859-6-11).
"Valuable Discovery." New York Saturday Press. (1859-6-11).
"New English Monthly." New York Saturday Press. (1859-6-11).
G.. "Important Questions." New York Saturday Press. (1859-6-11).
Bartlett, Rev. William Alvin. "Sermon." New York Saturday Press. (1859-6-11).
Personne [Wilkins, Edward G. P.]. "Dramatic Feuilleton." New York Saturday Press. (1859-6-11).
Miller, A. Perry. "The Little Queen." New York Saturday Press. (1859-6-11).
Barber, Joseph. "Peace and War." New York Saturday Press. (1859-6-11).
"Apology." New York Saturday Press. (1859-6-11).
"Lady Morgan." New York Saturday Press. (1859-6-11).
Nomla. "Singular Coincidence." New York Saturday Press. (1859-6-11).
"A Mount Vernon Paper." New York Saturday Press. (1859-6-11).
"The Cooper Institute." New York Saturday Press. (1859-6-11).
"The Fourth Estate." New York Saturday Press. (1859-6-11).
"Literary Notes." New York Saturday Press. (1859-6-11).
"Mr. Dickens and His Late Publishers." New York Saturday Press. (1859-6-11).
"One Thing and Another." New York Saturday Press. (1859-6-11).
"New English Books." New York Saturday Press. (1859-6-11).
Watters, A. W.. "To My Brother." New York Saturday Press. (1859-6-11).
Edmonds, J. W.. "Judge Edmonds on Spiritualism-V." New York Saturday Press. (1859-6-11).
Winter, William. "Mephistopheles to Faust." New York Saturday Press. (1859-6-11).
"General Havelock." New York Saturday Press. (1859-6-11).
A. W. N.. "A New Pastoral." New York Saturday Press. (1859-6-11).
"High-Handed Outrage [from the Scranton (Pa.) Herald of the Union]." New York Saturday Press. (1859-6-11).
"God Liveth Ever!." New York Saturday Press. (1859-6-11).
Gurowski [de Gurowski, Adam Count]. "Know All Men, Etc." New York Saturday Press. (1859-6-11).
"Theta Delta Chi." New York Saturday Press. (1859-6-11).
"Personal." New York Saturday Press. (1859-6-11).
"Opening of the Brooklyn Tabernacle." New York Saturday Press. (1859-6-11).
"Where is Montebello?." New York Saturday Press. (1859-6-11).
"Art Items." New York Saturday Press. (1859-6-11).
H. C. Jr. [Clapp, Henry Jr.]. "War." New York Saturday Press. (1859-6-11).
"New York Historical Society." New York Saturday Press. (1859-6-11).
C. P.. "Visit of the President to the University of North Carolina [Correspondence of the N. Y. Express]." New York Saturday Press. (1859-6-11).
"The Saturday Press Book-List." New York Saturday Press. (1859-6-11).
"George Sand's New Book: Her Quarrel with Paul de Musset." New York Saturday Press. (1859-6-11).
"Conjugal Felicity." New York Saturday Press. (1859-6-11).
Personne [Wilkins, Edward G. P.]. "Dramatic Feuilleton." New York Saturday Press. (1859-6-14).
"[The following Parody on Tennyson's]." New York Saturday Press. (1859-6-14).
Larcom, Lucy. "May Morning After a Storm." New York Saturday Press. (1859-6-14).
"Fountain of Natural Gas." New York Saturday Press. (1859-6-14).
Alger, Horatio Jr.. "The Lost Heart." New York Saturday Press. (1859-6-14).
"American Ethnological Society." New York Saturday Press. (1859-6-14).
"Literary Notes." New York Saturday Press. (1859-6-14).
"Personal." New York Saturday Press. (1859-6-14).
"[Notices]." New York Saturday Press. (1859-6-14).
Bartlett, Rev. William Alvin. "Report of a Sermon." New York Saturday Press. (1859-6-14).
"The Saturday Press Book-List." New York Saturday Press. (1859-6-14).
Arnold, George. "The Old Place." New York Saturday Press. (1859-6-14).
"The Press in Church." New York Saturday Press. (1859-6-14).
"One Thing and Another." New York Saturday Press. (1859-6-14).
Lowell, James Russell. "James Russell Lowell's Poem at the Monthly Banquet, Boston, May 31, 1859." New York Saturday Press. (1859-6-14).
"New Publications." New York Saturday Press. (1859-6-14).
"The Claqueurs of Paris." New York Saturday Press. (1859-6-14).
F. H. B., U. S. N.. "Japan as Seen by a Kentuckian." New York Saturday Press. (1859-6-14).
"The War." New York Saturday Press. (1859-6-14).