Didnt have to teach you something, dent have to make you better person. It was enough that a terror story scares you because its doing its job, and this also meant that because the story didnt have to teach you something virtue didnt have to reward it. The villain can win in the end. Richmond is where poe spent more of his life. He referred to himself as a virginian. This is where he was or fanned the age of two and grew up here with foster parents, john and frap sees allen. Without richmond he wouldnt have had the name allen. We wouldnt know what his name was. This is where he first fell in love and wrote his first poetry and where we hat a had a lot of formative inoperations inspiration that aspired, this is where he was married and got his first job in journalism. Without richmond he wouldnt have produced his best work and would not have had the chance to experiment and find his literary voice. The poe museum has been open since 1922. This is the Worlds Largest collection of Edgar Allen Poe memorabilia. It has an enchanted garden based on poes poetry. It recrates his poem to paradise. And when the founder of the museum end it, it was virginias first museum and first monument to a writer. Not to a military, political leader but to a writer and showed the virginiaans cared about the power of words and the power of imagination to shape our debt destiny. This is his boyhood bed where he used to dream and its been passed down from his foster father to his business marter in, until i came to the poe museum. The pieces of furniture in our check had those kinds of stories. That chain of ownership that leads from here so we can verify what they are. We also have chairs from his boyhood home, including this piece with original cover material on it. This is the upholstery on their in poes day. We also have artwork, including this painting of the holy family from the allen mansion, and life portraits of john and Frances Allen. Only one other known portrait of john allen in life and only one portrait of Frances Allen in life which have both been lost. We have life pictures of both his parents together, and thats quite appropriate but a richmond is where they lived. They policed in homes all over the neighborhood. This is a street that poe would have known very well during his lifetime, would have walked up and down the street, have seen this house on multiple occasions, but better yet we have the bed where we would have slept. Poes foster father, john alan, was a wealthy tobacco expert. When he died he was worked threequarters million dollars. He had a huge mansion richmond, a plantation, property in rocklin county and could afford the finest things in life and had extensive library, and that was a great advantage for poe. He was able to read from the the Allan Library but allan never warmed up to him it was the mothers decide to addition nick edgar happens. Orphaned he was as a child so she could simple these when the heard that poes mother, the famous actress, eliza poe, was fight and needed help caring for her and her children, of course Francis Allan jumped the chance to take in. Eddie. She wanted someone to take care of and lavished attention. Unfortunately john allan was already had other children and cant want to have to take care of somebody ems he mentioned two cheer in this will who had never been seen before but somebody told them so they deserve something but edgar was never included in the will and in this letters john refers to hill about they devil actress children. Doesnt show a spark of gratitude. Not one good thing about that boy. Poe developed an interesting storytelling early on. One of his friends, John Hamilton mckenzie, apparently fell out of a tree and broke his arm. And then before the arm had chance to heal he was jumping on his bed, fell off the bed and broke his arm again and his mother told him, well, dont go outside, stay home, and just entertain this little kid edgar. So they entertained each other by telling stories. And John Hamilton mckenzie recalls telling edgar the standard stories, robinson could california russo and then poe would tell him stories and kennedy adding to the stories and creating new stories. Then poe got an interest in poetry and by the age of 1 he had compiled enough as his poetry he wanted his foster father to help him get it published and he showed it to his headmaster at school and the headmaster says poe is too proud of himself. The last thing you want to do is fuel is egg guy by publishing a become of poetry. By the time he was 18, he actually published his first book, a lot of what is in the book was written while he was in richmond, attending the university of virginia in charlottesville. Early on poe thought he would feel like most writers of the day and live off of family money or a teaching job or a government job in a customs house. But he became the First American writer, major american write are to make his living solely off his writing. Not entirelily choice. He would have loafed to have infanted the john allan for but john allan did not leave it to him and after owas thrown out of west point, allan would not take him back. So poe started submitting short stories to magazines and entering literary contests and then got himself a job at a magazine, the southern literary messenger, and before you know it he was a maggist, editing different magazines in richmond and philadelphia and new york, and he had his struggles. His salary was 500 a year, which is about 17,000 today. When he got to philadelphia he worked at grahams magazine, and in a years time as editor he brought the from a circulation of 6,000 to about 40,000. Made the most popular journal in the country. The First Magazine in america with a truly mass audience, and he was making a salary of 800 a year. While the owner was getting 25,000 a year. So the owner was getting fabulously wealthy off of poes works. 0 poe had a dream of starting his own magazine buff never but never worked out for him. There were a few times, years at a stretch, where he was living hand to mouth. Might make five dollars off this poem or story, the tell tale heart brought him ten dollars. The raven, 15. Longer stories would get more money. The murders in the morgue brought 50. He entered the gold bug in a hort story contest and one 100. Its been estimated from the time he was 18 published his first book until he was 40 he made at over 6,000. So he wasnt fabulously wealthy but he was famous. As soon as his works got employmented in one magazine, other magazines reprinted it with ineffective copyright laws, nobody hesitate teed reprint his stories and even in europe, they were reprinting his stories left and right, making him a household name in france, while he was still struggling to feed his family here in the united states. But even temperature poes lifetime he was a celebrate, he made into it the newspapers and me magazines at the time, and people reported on every little thing he did it seemed. He was a public figure. And one of the events today from poes life that seems scandalous to us but not quite as scandalous at the time. It was his marriage. When he heard her he was 27. She was 13. He was over twice her age. He was also her cousin but back then it was fairly common for cousins to marry one another. But the age difference was unusual. In virginia at the time a girl of 12 could get married with her fathers permission. Her father was dead, though, but her mother, who was poes biological fathers sister, encouraged the match. And when she was finding a home for her daughter she was also finding a home for herself because poe took in both women and gave them a home. Heres poes marriage bond, and if you look closely, she didnt signed the marriage bond. As woman she didnt get to sign the legal documents. But really wasnt up to her but poe decides to go lining with them and married his cousin, but he does say that she was a full 21 years of age. That way she doesnt have to get a male guardians consent to marry because by this time her father and brother are both dead so she doesnt have anybody to give her permission to marry edgar. Heres a picture of the man who performed the ceremony. He said the wife looked a little younger than 21 but seems to have been genuine affection between edgar and virginia, even though poe hat bouts we depression, virginia was very cheerful and could lift him up. She provided him the support he needed and they say at night, no matter how poor he was he made sure the she had piano to play and he would play the flute and theyed a. Concerts. So seemed like a happy home write while youre writing stories about chopping your wife into little pieces. The section of the exhibit addresses rumors of poes alcohol and drug use, and even during his time that made the news. And the journal write here is the john donkey, and theres an article in here where english says he has seen poe passed out in the middle of broadway, and english loved to ridicule poe and portray him as a drunkard and one of the novels he portrays poe as marmaduke hammerhead, the drunken author of black bro and portrays poe the doom of the drinker. Poe really during his lifetime was developing a reputation as heavy drinker, but people who knew him say he went for most of the time without touching alcohol. Even had a single glass of wine he was staggering drunk. His personality completely changed. He would be sick for days afterwards. So we dont know what kind of intolerance he had of alcohol. Many an enzyme defect or die diabetessic but he drank less than people think he did. But after his death, his first biography was written by a fellow named rufus w. Can griswold who couldnt stand poe. And once poe died he wrote an obituary said that the word of poes death startled few and he portrayed poe as a drank drunkard, evil, person and his buying aography of poe he had episode after episode portraying poe as a hopeless drunks his his friends and family came to his defense and said this isnt true. This is the poe he know and even tom mag english said, his enemy i saying the use ofs her was slander. And one of poesy friend recounts a very strength episode in poes life in the last summer of 1849, poe is passing through philadelphia and shows up at his house terrified that people were trying to kill him. He said he heard people conspiring against him and wanted him to cut off his mustache. Then later, poe said it was all just hallucination and wasnt real, never mind. And sartain wrote about the accountant and someone was written him asking was poe just drunk, on drugs . And this is the response that he didnt appear to have been drinking. Didnt happen to have been on drug. He was calm and measured and they were trying to figure out why was poe hallucinating or maybe there war people after him. Dont know. Even though the evidence seems to support the idea that poe didnt drink quite as much as think he did and didnt find inspiration for his write big using opium. That this reputation he had. Poe left richmond to go to the big cities. Richmond at the time he was work hearing at 15,000 people, new york already had 300,000 people. Philadelphia had 200,000 people. Poe needed to go to the big cities and really make a name for himself. But after his wife died, he was struggling to page a living. And he found a financial backer who was willing to start a magazine for him, called the stylist and poe was raising my by selling ticks of a lecture tour and that brought him back too richmond where he encountered his old sweetheart. He had been seeing her when hey were teenager about now at age 40 poe returned to richmond, famous and somewhat successful poet. He was edgar the raven poe and gave two very successful, wellattended lectures and one who attended saying the audience was spell bound and he left the stage to applause. He held rate examination one laid who saw it says half of the people ran and hid. Little kids would recognize him on the street and follow him around and say never more never money so the finally made himself as edgar the raven poe and he showed up at elmira sheltons house. By now she was wealthy widow, had gone through six years of mourning already and was probably about ready to remarry. And he showed up one day up announced at her hours and herzer vanity wouldnt let him into the house him had not left a calling card and he start argue with the servant until elmira okay up and saw him and he said, el mire race elmira, is that you . She said go away. Dont want to see him. But she kept coming back and they renewed their illinois gage. Ment they were set to be married when he returned from a business trip to philadelphia. From which he never returned. On Edgar Allan Poes last night in richmond he spent he evening with his new fiancee, elmira, but afterward shed said he was very sick him had a fever, a weak pulse, and after leaving, he visited the doctor, dr. John accorder who lived near 17th 17th and broad streets and left his Walking Stick here at doctor carters house, taking the doctors cane with him. We dont know why poe took the sword cane and what happened to it. We do know he was going to philadelphia the next morning. We have this letter, one of the last letters he wrote, from september 18, 1849 and he is writing to a poet in philadelphia whose book he wants to edit. Its only a couple days job hell make 100, which is years rent for poe. So he could use this money and would go a long way tone with his upcoming marriage. But unfortunately he caught the steam ship from richmond to baltimore, which was about a twoday trip. He was catching the train in baltimore to philadelphia, which would take another few hours, but he just disappeared for five days. Dont know his whereabouts, until he was found at ryans forth ward poll. It was polling place and a voting day and poe was found semi conscious, dressed in somebody elses clothes. Cheap, illfittinginging a rag illfitting rags and people were at a loss to figure out what happened . They didnt even recognize him. One theory was that he was a victim of couping. That was the practice in which thugs would find people who just got off the boat, drugged them and used them as repeat voters, change thing clothes over and over again, happen the sign then x on the line and then drag them to another polling place and man they left poe for dead and that explains the change of clothes. Now, this theory was published as early as 1860, right here by poes friend, john thunderstorm john thunderstorm son, who delivered a lecture on poes life, genius and death and helped poparrize the story of couping. After the discover the polls he went to Washington College hospital for days. His doctor was john cart were wrote this account of poes final days. Poe was deal herousus in and out of consciousness, talking at shadowle 0o then ball and not making sense her couldnt remember what had become of his luggage, his clogs, why was he dressed in other clothes . He just seemed to look dash lack any memory that and was screaming the name rental reynoldss over and over again, and then he calmed down, and his last words were, lord, help my poor soul. And died the age of 40. The doctor says it was case of a loss of nerve power. Newspapers at the time said everything from a case of mania, or a drug reaction. To brain fever, or congestion of the brain. The official mortality statistic for baltimore said information inflammation of the brain, a medical term we dont use but thes are similar to meningitis and that gives us more theories what could happen head to poe but a his dar was emfat nick saying he didnt appear to emphatic in saying he didnt appear to have been drink organize suffering from delirium. So the question is what did kill poe . This is Edgar Allan Poe residents trunk. I held most of his worldly possessions. But he left it in richmond. When he was traveling to baltimore, said that the key to his trunk was found in his pocket after his death. We know before he left richmond he had been staying the American Hotel on main street, but this trunk was found in the swan tavern Still Holding some possessions, and people wondered for years why he had this trunk here. They thought its kind of a large piece so maybe he had a smaller piece he carried with him to baltimore so maybe he had two trunks. But his sister eventually acquired this and had a big legal battle over who got to have his trunk, poes motherinlaw, who was actually his aunt, and his sister, who was his closest living relative fought over the lit area state and the motherinlaw who should nod heat had the rights signed over the rights to poes literary egg guess to griswold but two women battled over the trunk and the possessions. And it was only recently discovered thank you n one of poes letter thursday a private collection it inly that the reason poe left his drunk the swan tavern was that he hadnt paid his hotel bill and she said they wouldnt give him back his luggage until he paid the remainder of the money should complaints why his drunk trunk was still here and why his sister got ahold of it. After her death she pass it down her foster niece, who sold it to the museum back in 1923 for 35, and now its one of the prizes of our collection. This area addresses another one of the scandals about poe. Who is buried under poes monument . For years people have questioned, did Edgar Allan Poe buyer buriyed there or another person. He was originally buried in an unmarked great and then a group started to raise money to give him the nicest monument in the cemetery and thought it would be appropriate instead of having him back in poe family plot, if he were right next to the sidewalk where everybody could see him. A place of honor. He was the most famous resident of the cemetery so he is the one that people should really want to see. And the cemetery moved him across the cemetery, his coffin in the ground for 26 years already, so as you can imagine it fell apart. And the newspapers the next day reported about seeing him they said that most of his skin had dried up and was gone except for at bit of dried up skin on the arm. His jaw fell off. His teeth were on the school. He had very good dental hygiene. His rib cage was open. This scooped up the pieces and put them in the new spot and some people said, well, the sexton moved the wrong body. This wasnt where we remember poe being and that called a lot of confusion over the years. And then to make matters worse, a poe collector placed this monument on the site of poes original grave, but he got the location wrong and originally place i would over the wrong spot that wasnt poes original grave. And finally the sexton had a clear up the confusion. What really happened was he had already moved the body once and in anticipation of getting a new monument. So he knew exactly where poes body was before he moved it. He knew exactly which body he was move ago so no need to worry, poes buried under miss mon his motherinlaw is also with him, and his wife, they move her down from the bronx. Now, his wife died two years before he did. And by the time it was decided to build the poe monument they had already built over her cemetery and moved the bodies but poes biggest fan ever, william gill, went to the september despair rescued virginia poes bones and took them home with him and kept them in a box and invited people touch her bones and people said maybe thats a baddy and now theyre buriedy next to her husband. Thats why the poe toaster who shows up at poes grave leaves three roastes base theres three people under the monument and Edgar Allan Poe is one of them. This museum is the only Literary Museum in richmond and one of only a few in the country. So it helps preserve our literary heritage. Reminds us that a big part of what makes us who we are is our cultural. Not just the visual arts but also the literary arts. Its part of the history of our collective imagination. Theres people who come to museum who have never heard of Patrick Henry or Thomas Jefferson but they know Edgar Allan Poe. He is a an international let literary figure and cant say he belong dozen world and is everybodys writer and thats the great thing about the museum. A place that brings together everybody. The james is virginias
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