Godey's Lady's Book (1830-1885) Content of early issues included extensive fashion descriptions and plates; biographical sketches; articles about mineralogy, handcrafts, costume, dance, equestrienne procedures, and health and hygiene; and recipes and remedies, as well as some sheet music, primarily for the pianoforte. Over time, the periodical matured into an important literary magazine containing essays, poetry, and short stories by celebrated 19th-century authors such as Harriet Beecher Stowe, Edgar Allen Poe, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.