Paul Pry
Paul Pry A Theatrical, Sporting Quizzical Critical and Satirical Journal, illustrated by Elton, pub at Elton’s Theatrical Publishing Office, 104 Nassau st. Robt H Elton, engraver on wood, exhibs of every sort furnished with approp engr. Sold at cigar stores, libraries, tavern, a couple hotels, confectioner, fancy store, three cents. Wm Applegate publisher. Portrait of Wm Chas Macready, the popular actor, first tragedian, noted for his irritability in professional business.
mildly sexy poem, other stuff cut fr London papers, police, anecdotes. Mostly theater reviews, some gossip.
Paul Pry NYHS starts Mar 23 1839, masthead has ad for Bassford’s chess and billiards, Ann and Broad. Weekly Paper devoted to New Books, the Drama, Exhibitions and Amusements of New York. 3 cents. “To hold the mirror up to nature and show the very age and body of the time” shakespeare. Wardle Corbyn ed, 104 Nassau st. sold at a lot of hairdressers, some stores
-have enlarged with this issue, artist hired to do new masthead, only 4 mo old. Republish an article that appeared in Herald about a year ago, editor wrote it for them, describes Bengough coming out of Windust’s, short stout pippen faced young man,s mall black comical eye, not a Grahamite, suit of heavy blue fearnought and carries an ashen stick, splendid scenery. Mr Evers Scenic artist at Park has first benefit after twenty years
Baldwin is artist for masthead, which is just an ornamental one, The Paul Pry. Mar 30 1839 Fashionable Lounges p. 1 starts with Acad of FA in Barclay st, splendid Exhib of Ptgs, Destruction of Jerusalem grand and Revolt in Paris quite exciting, four pics by Dubufe all capital. The Circassian Slave! Oh ye gods! beautiful, positively beautiful—down Broadway to the Battery lovely women, oysters at Downings, dined at Delmonicos. Tuesday visited Catherwood’s dioramas, fine ptgs, falls of Niagara v effective, thought of the pleasant time I spent there with Fanny last September, ah fickle Fanny, then Niblo’s Colman’s splendid books and prints the Ackerman of NY. Mentions horses, theater every night, other women a diff one every day, hangover took daughters to Peale’s museum shopping brandy punch. Signed a Man about Town.
Praise the Expositor.
Apr 6 disagree with Herald about justice of benefit for Wallack. p3 don't admire Nigger Melodies esp outside the Bowery, rude audience yells hi hi hi and cracks peanuts
Apr 13 p2 more on Bennett and Wallack benefit, Herald had approved of Wallack’s spirited course and put his name on the committee, but list appeared without Bennett’s name in one of the papers, ungentlemanly but not Wallacks fault. Robt Elton engraver advertises p3
Apr 20 1839 engr port by Elton of Tyrone Power. Admire Willis’ Tortesa. Apr 27 notices St George’s dinner. Accuses Celeste of relying on constant puffing, often by her husband
May 4 1839 p2 describes new Bowery, arms of states with laurel and eagles, portraits of Disting Americans. describes Palmo’s mix of customers fr French musicians, German mechanic, Bowery boy and exqusite, young and old, gman and roue, debauchee.
Park theater won’t advertise with them.
May 18 1839 p2 NAD,Adirondack Pass Catherwood Mayr Weir Indian Captie Hamilton
Danl Whitney and Ackerman sign painters advertise
May 25 attacks 6 shilling blanket papers criticism, NAD cont Oddie Selous Stanfield Sully Bronson Browere Powell Eastman Frothingham Whitley. Notes Robinson lithos of actresses Lecompte and Clifton, better in drwg and engr than any of late, more style and char
Jun 1 corrects Noah, Burton did leave his wife in England. Jun 8 notes Sunday Visiter of same char as Atlas, industrious and deserving young men, well connected, hope will be successfulas talented Atlas. Bengough is going to Europe. Jun 22 Herald had to back Celeste over Mitchell, were paid to do so. Olympic closed,didn’t advertise. Jun 29 An hour at niblos. Jul 20 invite contributions fr spicy witty satirical and indep writers, no personal abuse, but facts on vices follies and peculiarities of public characters will be published
Jul 27 1839 excerpts fr New Yorker. effort to stop sales of Sunday papers illegal. Aug 10 Eve Tattler guilty of excessive delicacy re dancers’ legs. Interior of National described, groups of flowers, Sphinx, figs on dome, Wheatley and Brown assistant artists
Aug 17 motto now is Shoot Folly as it Flies. extracts fr Willis jottings in London. Advertises for a fighting editor, must be 6 feet, thick skull than a boxer, know low slang andunmoved by obscenity, have his own boots and whips, need him to show up vices peccadilloes and backsliding gentry. Aug 24 has taken ona partner Noney, office 328 ½ Broadway. praises Knick. Aug 31 notes Polyanthos attack on Hamblin, filthy sheet Sept 7 Rosciad also a filthy sheet, ed by Shaw husb of actress at Bowery. Sept 14 editor’s motto is Open to all-influenced by none.
Sept 21 1839 praises Catlin’s Indian gallery. Oct 5 LEL poem, usu has satirical poems
Oct 12 Stephen Price starts the Reformer to attack Noah of the Star; News boys lament, will sell Herald and Paul Pry, best of all of them, would not join in the conspiracy, Sun and Tattler be damned Oct 19 crit of theatrical pufing, Courier or Star puffs inserted so much per square, ought tor ely on merits. Evening Signal also overly delicate.Catlin advertises, moving dio of Bunker Hill too. Oct 26 Mirror stole one of their articles, we pay for the Mirror, like Genl Morris and Epes Sargeant, but thieves. Notices Bunker Hill
Nov 9 1839 praise Elton their engraver, agreeable visit to Catherwood’s panos, splendid.
Nov 16 subhead is Theatrical Sporting Quizzical Critical and Satirical Journal Nov 30 theater puffing system works by paying $40 year for daily ads, then pay for notices of performances too. Hillyard scenic artist at Park Dec 28 Simms poem
1840
Jan 18 black borders for comics Finn and Eberle. Notices Tasistro, scholar poet critic editor of lit j Feb 1 1840 doing crit of the Crosby st medical school, Drs John Augustus Smith and Manley neither are good lecturers Feb 8 covers the Euterpeian Ball at City Hotel, seems to have a lot of beautiful mistresses; fancy dress ball at mansion in Church st, affair duly Heralded, invitations to fashionable dandies and gay ladies, great crowd of elite, all the belles fr Washington Market to lady of richest financier, dress makers jewelers did their work, Madame B’s soiree. Our Robin Goodfellow snuck in, describes costumes of the women, hostess looked melancholy when Herald mentioned. p4 fr Eve Tattler description of Odd Fellows Ball, Niblo’s, Hannington chair of dec committee
Feb 15 1840 Pictrues by old masters humbug; Brevoort’s fancy ball costumes. Tasistro underestimated difficulty of performing on stage. Paul Pry wrote pungent epistle to Sunday Morning news. Doing a series on loafers, bar room, Broadway, etc
Feb 29 new masthead, no more picture of Pry, no ornament at all, just a Theatrical, Critical and Sporting journal, and just by AW Noney. has lit crit now. Political loafer
Mar 7 foreign loafer, describes a masquerade ball, praises the Brevoort ball, Corsair failed for just republising english papers, meagre editorial except for Willis Mar 14 aristo loafer. Express stole their description of the fancy ball, said it was by Jon Slick Chas E Davis, but it was by a Pry editor Apr 11 1840 Signal steals articles fr foreign Journals. Fine Arts: NAD opens, will expose Peter Funking of crit Apr 25 sketches the Cyprian in Broadway
Apr 25 1840 p2 Star on Fine arts, Herald a paper of a high order of talent. likeness of Genl Morris hasn’t been published, or must not be much of a likeness. Atlas pub portrait of a Politician which public insists was intended for our associate, Col Ming or Counsellor Morrell? Asmodeus in NY at Olympic doing well as every one likes notoriety
May 2 1840 NAD Portraits all too common. Cole and Durand. Marsiglia, Burns, Peeping Tom, architects dream. Herald incompetent.
May 9 bio of Elssler. New World and Signal still stealing articles. Elssler’s dancing not her morals as in the Star is what matters p.4 NAD continues portraits, cant of criticism, Petzl, Edmonds Deas Mount Creighton Rossiter Eliott. Sculpture of Stout where gone?
May 16 going to start publishing info for the militia. Disapproves of editor of Signal, defends Cooper against editors. Napoleon the only Albany steamboat owned by mechanics and stems monopooly. New World has hired Richard Adams Locke and Bro Jonathan hired Namby Pamby Willis. Park Benjamin malignant toward Cooper. Tasistro’s suit agst Brandeth show value of lit labor. p.4 NAD Audubon Page Indian Girl abortion Richings as Barty Sharpe Ingham
May 23 hope Tattler is wrong about Gen Morris conduct to Tasistro, don’t believe he’s guilty of what Weld says. has Beranger fr Corsair. Jun 6 GP Morris poem, header is now Theatrical,, Critical and Military Journal. Notices war between Noah Park Benjamin Bartlett Hale etc and Bennett, effect will be to incrase circ of Herald, whose morality is equal to that of certain polit journals in this city. besides egotism and depravity, ably edited, earliest news, real talent in money articles and unbiased reasoning, written by Kurtell, a native down easter Jun 13 engr of Fanny Elssler in La Cracovienne by Elton. Inside says dancing on stage encourages immorality (one partner in paper has retired, perhaps the one who liked Elssler?) Jul 25 1840 Prof Longfellow humbug, miserable twaddle called poetry, overwrought and overstrained figures and boarding school miss sentiments, ed of Knick on of his regular puffers
Aug 1 now Paul Pry and Military Gazette. Aug 8 engr of a female smoker. Knick is attacking Park Benjamin. Richd Adams Locke writing for NYMirror, he’s a fine writer. has whole series on female types, milliner, ice cream waitress, flirt, etc. now aimed more at male audience? less theater. ends in September 1840.
Nov 15 1840 (Paul Pry and Milit Gazette)