Frank Crowninshield was one of New York's foremost dilettantes, toastmasters, and patrons of the arts during the first half of this century. These attributes served not to diminish, but to enhance, his prestige as the gifted editor of what was likely the most sophisticated and witty magazine of its era. From its birth in 1913 to its demise in 1936, Vanity Fair boasted much of the best American writing, as well as some stellar contributions from foreign writers. Crowninshield and his staff had an uncanny knack for discovering new talent. Many great literary careers were launched from the pages of Vanity Fair. Domestic and foreign luminaries who received their first big break in Vanity Fair included Dorothy Parker, Robert Benchley, Clare Boothe Luce, Thomas Wolfe, Aldous Huxley, Paul Gallico, P. G. Wodehouse, Gertrude Stein, E. E. Cummings, Noel Coward, and Ferenc Molnár.

Additionally, Vanity Fair reproduced in four...