The Museum Collection

Salt Cellars from Poe's Boyhood Home

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Format:	glass
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Source:	Gift of Misses Josie and Kate Halloran
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Description:

These salt cellars were used to hold salt on the dinner table in boy's boyhood home, "Moldavia," the Richmond mansion in which he lived with his foster parents, John and Frances Allan, from 1825 until 1827. The items were given to the Poe Museum by Misses Josie and Kate Halloran in 1931. Their parents had purchased the salt cellars and two decanters (also donated to the Poe Museum) at the estate sale of the Allan mansion in 1881.

Salt cellars were commonly used before the invention of the salt shaker.