- A unique, rare, short-lived and often bawdy form of journalism
- Exposes the seamier aspects of urban life including scandal, brothels, blackmail, wagering and more
- Rare insights into urban life, criminal activity, and the underground economy and literature of the 19th century
“American Underworld: The Flash Press, the new collection of bawdy newspapers from Readex, is a fantastic resource. As one who chronicles American vice and crime, these 19th-century papers provide a missing link—a sympathetic view of the demimonde, appealing to a literate, urban and mostly male audience to balance the moralistic tone taken by mainstream publications of the time. While I was aware these papers existed, I had no idea how many different titles had been published and how many issues have survived. To have them all available in one place, carefully digitized and easily searchable, is invaluable. I was especially impressed by the quality of the illustrations which were often as important as the text in these publications and are as pleasing to contemporary readers as they were to rakes and sporting men. American Underworld: The Flash Press offers a unique perspective for scholars of American vice and crime as well as researchers in other scholarly areas such as urban life and women’s studies.”
—Robert Wilhelm, author of Wicked Victorian Boston and The Bloody Century: True Tales of Murder in 19th Century America
