Bohemian Publications

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The New York bohemians had a large, if fleeting, impact on the literary culture of the United States during the mid-nineteenth century. The three short-lived periodicals that they contributed to—The New York Saturday Press, Vanity Fair, and The New York Leader—“embodied the new literary life of the city,” in the words of novelist William Dean Howells. The Saturday Press prided itself on publishing cutting-edge literature and criticism, while Vanity Fair focused on comedy and satire in the model of the British publication Punch. The New York Leader was less adventurous in both style and content, but it provided a venue for the “King” and “Queen” of Bohemia, Henry Clapp, Jr. and Ada Clare, to publish regular columns on politics and art. Walt Whitman published in all three papers during the New York phase of his career.

Vanity Fair, 1(1)
New York: Louis H. Stephens, 1860.

A version of this text has been digitized and is available through The Vault at Pfaffs.

The New-York Saturday Press, 3(23)
New York: Henry Clapp (1814-1875), 1860.

A version of this text has been digitized and is available through The Vault at Pfaffs.

The New York Leader, 3(2)
New York: 1857.

A version of this text has been digitized and is available through The Vault at Pfaffs.

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