Excerpt:
The first "pulp magazine" has not actually been identified per se, but it probably appeared in the 1880's. Some authorities claim that the first all fiction issue of The Argosy (Oct. 1896) is the first "pulp magazine," but there are hundreds of true pulp magazines that are not "all fiction". Why quibble? In April, 1894, The Argosy became a monthly magazine in the traditional 7 x 10 inch format, and it's a convenient place to start. There were some Horatio Alger stories in these early issues, and even a science fiction serial: A. Laurie's "A Month in the Moon", Feb.- Aug, 1897. Pulpdom's purpose is to explore and expose the pulp magazine phenomenom, so this is just the begining.