Frank Munsey's The Argosy, October 1896

Frank Munsey's The Argosy (October 1896) is considered by many to be the first true 'pulp' magazine, although popular all-fiction periodicals in both England and the US certainly have a much longer history. Monthly issues of Argosy averaged about 135,000 words (192 pages) per issue on pulp-wood paper with untrimmed edges and no illustrations. In six years Argosy went from selling a few thousand copies per month to over half a million.

Argosy October 1896

The magazine became a weekly publication in October 1917. In January 1919, Argosy merged with Railroad Man's Magazine, and was briefly known as Argosy and Railroad Man's Magazine. Argosy then merged with All-Story Weekly and bore the new title Argosy All-Story Weekly.

Frank Munsey died in 1925, and William T. Dewart, the general manager of Munsey's and publisher of the New York Sun, purchased The Argosy a year later. The magazine remained successful, changing hands many times over the course of another 47 years, finally meeting its demise in 1979.