Poe’s engagement ring is evidence of the tragic love story of Poe and his first and last fiancée Elmira Royster Shelton.
Engaged as teenagers only to have their engagement broken by her father, Poe and Shelton became engaged a second time in the last months of his life.
The mahogany fragment came from the original coffin in which Poe was buried on October 8, 1849.
In 1875, Poe’s body was moved across the cemetery from his unmarked grave to a better location where a large monument could be placed over his grave
The gold watch is engraved “Edgar A. Poe.” In 1843, Poe gave the watch to one of his creditors to pay off a debt. Although the watch has remained in private hands ever since, its existence has been known through newspaper articles about it dating from the 1880s until it appeared at auction at Christies in 2019.
Edgar Allan Poe’s waistcoat, kept by his mother-in-law Maria Poe Clemm after his death in 1849.
It was kept in a trunk of Poe’s clothing by Maria Poe Clemm, who left it to her niece Elizabeth Rebecca Herring Smith in 1871.
About Chris Semtner: Chris Semtner, who recently celebrated his 25-year anniversary as the curator of the Edgar Allan Poe Museum in Richmond, Virginia, is also an internationally exhibited fine artist […]
Enjoy a summer evening in the museum’s Enchanted Garden as we celebrate summer reading before the school year. Join us for a screening of The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. […]
All aboard for Land Poe!—a nautical-themed UnHappy Hour at the Poe Museum! Join us on Thursday, July 24 from 6–9pm for a raucous, salt-sprayed soirée where landlubbers and pirates alike will dance to […]
Edgar Allan Poe is often viewed as an anomaly in history, both for the gruesome subject of his literature and his peculiar appearance. How can one place Poe in the […]
About David Allen Voyles: Some of the tales in David Allen Voyles’ first collection of original horror stories, The Thirteenth Day of Christmas and Other Tales of Yuletide Horror, were […]
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About SJ Sindu: SJ Sindu is a Tamil diaspora author of two literary novels (Marriage of a Thousand Lies, which won the Publishing Triangle Edmund White Award; and Blue-Skinned Gods, […]
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About Stephen Smith: Stephen Smith is an actor and theatre producer from Watford, UK. He trained at the National Youth Theatre and LIPA (Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts). He is […]
Join us on Saturday, October 11th from 10:00am-2:00pm for an enchanted free family day. Enjoy arts, crafts, and programming brought to you by The Poe Museum. We will be joined […]
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2025 Student Poetry Contest Winners
The Poe Museum celebrated National Poetry Month this spring by hosting its annual student poetry contest. Middle and high school students across the U.S. were encouraged to write poems based
19th Century Black Americans: Their Life, Literature, and Influence on Poe
This Black History Month, the Poe Museum seeks to provide resources on the life and literature of Black Americans in the 19th century. The lives of Black Americans directly shaped
Welcome to Our New Board Members!
The Poe Museum is excited to announce additions to its Board of Directors during a pivotal time for the 100+ year old institution. As the Museum embarks on a complete
