Poe Foundation Business records, 1913-2008

Access and use

Location of collection:
Library of Virginia
The Library of Virginia
800 East Broad Street
Richmond, VA 23219
Contact for questions and access:
POC: Archives Reference Services
Phone: (804) 692-3888
Restrictions:

There are no restrictions.

Terms of access:

There are no restrictions.

Preferred citation:

Poe Foundation Business records, 1913-2008. Accession 43972. Organization records collection, The Library of Virginia, Richmond.

Summary

Language:
English
Preferred citation:

Poe Foundation Business records, 1913-2008. Accession 43972. Organization records collection, The Library of Virginia, Richmond.

Background

Scope and content:

Business records, 1913-2008, of the Edgar Allan Poe Museum of Richmond, Virginia. Includes admission ledgers, annual reports and minutes, book shop accounts, card catalogs, correspondence, daily journals, finances, guest registers, newsletters, photographs, programs, and receipts.

Of note are the numerous letters from Poe scholars, board members, donors, and various dignitaries, including presidents and senators. Beginning in 1921 the museum embarked on an initiative to collect Poe memorabilia and personal effects, and letters tracing these efforts are included. The correspondence also includes numerous requests for information on Poe and purchases from the book shop, as well as copies of poetry and stories submitted by Poe scholars. Also included are letters appointing board members and announcing board meetings, and membership dues. Included is an interesting collection of letters from Olaf Bjorkman regarding a sculpture of Poe and the Raven. Other correspondents include: William Sumner Appleton, Senator Harry F. Byrd, James Branch Cabell, Douglas S. Freeman, Honorable Vaughan Gary, President Warren G. Harding, John Calvin Metcalf, Bentley Munford, George Foster Peabody, Senator A. Willis Robertson, Chief Justice William H. Taft, Morton G. Thalhimer, Mary Traylor (secretary), and Governor William M. Tuck.

The annual reports, 1922-1974, include financial statements, minutes, tour notes, meeting announcements, and reports to the president and board members. Included are copies of the newsletters, Evermore and The Poe Messenger. The financial organization of the museum can be traced through the account cash ledgers, annual reports, book shop accounts, daily journals, and receipts. Also of note are the guest registers, 1921-2006, which record visitors to the Poe Museum, including celebrities such as Gertrude Stein, and track the attendance and popularity of the museum. The collection also includes card catalogs containing information on donations, lists of books, pamphlets, and articles located at the Poe museum, and miscellaneous card catalogs.

(see also the accession file card catalogs)

(see also the accession file card catalogs)

Olaf Bjorkman

Biographical / historical:

The Old Stone House, or the Edgar Allan Poe Museum, opened in April 1922 in Richmond, Virginia. The Poe Museum contains the world's largest collection of Edgar Allan Poe's manuscripts, letters, first editions, memorabilia, and personal belongings. The first officers were J. H. Whitty, President, and W.G. Stanard and Douglas Freeman, Vice Presidents. In 2009 the museum celebrated the 200th anniversary of the birth of Edgar Allan Poe.

Acquisition information:
Gift of the Poe Museum, Richmond, Virginia September 2008.
Arrangement:

This collection is alphabetically by folder title, with the card catalogs arranged at the end.

Physical location:
Physical description:
15.1 cu. ft. (45 boxes)