Following Edgar Allan Poe to Richmond VA

Hello Friends:

I've always liked visiting Richmond, VA for its many historic sites (the White House of the Confederacy is wonderful), fun and funky shopping, great dining and manageable size. Now if you re an Edgar Allan Poe aficionado starting in July and until the end of the year, there will be three new exhibits in honor of the Edgar Allan Poe Bicentennial. The exhibits are part of Poe Revealed 1809-2009, a cooperative effort among Virginia historical sites, museums, libraries and performing arts organizations to commemorate the life and works of Poe throughout 2009. It was Richmond, Virginia that Poe considered home; the place where he grew up, married and first gained a national literary reputation.

On July 1, Richmond's Poe Museum will present Ratiocination: Poe the Detective. The exhibit will explore Poe's attempts to close an unsolved murder case in 1842. Poe, who had recently invented the detective story with his murder mystery "The Murders in the Rue Morgue," read in the newspapers of the brutal killing of a popular New York cigar girl named Mary C. Rogers. By studying the newspaper accounts of the case, Poe thought he could find the killer. Poe's solution was never universally accepted, so the case remains unsolved.

Ratiocination: Poe the Detective will bring together the evidence Poe would have studied and will allow visitors the opportunity to take part in the investigation and identify the murderer. The opening reception for the exhibit will be held on Thursday, June 25 from 6 to 9 p.m., where guests will be invited to take part in a "crime scene investigation" at the Poe Museum.

The exhibit will run through January 3, 2010. The Poe Museum is open from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and 11 a.m.-5 p.m. on Sunday. The museum is closed on Mondays. Admission is $6. For guided tours and group tours,
please call 804-648-5523.

Additionally, the Library of Virginia, in partnership with the Poe Museum, will on July 20 unveil a major exhibit exploring the myths and legends surrounding America's first internationally renowned author. Poe: Man, Myth, or Monster asks "Who is Edgar Allan Poe?" The exhibit covers the many facets of Poe's life and explores his influence on pop culture as someone who has his own action figure and comic book, and has appeared in film, television, and other authors' novels. The exhibit also explores the contradictory information about the writer that circulated throughout his lifetime and following his death. Poe was sometimes less-than-truthful about his life and subsequent biographers were also less-than-factual, erring either on the side of Poe the drunken madman or Poe the refined, ever-proper gentleman. So, who exactly was Edgar Allan Poe?

The exhibit includes three interactive stations: Poe's Words (readings from Poe), Poe in Film (the 1928 silent film The Fall of the House of Usher), and Fact or Fiction (where visitors can test their knowledge of Poe). Among the more than 100 items (digital and original) in the exhibit are:
· A copy of Tamerlane, Poe's first, but not widely distributed, published book of poetry (1827)
· Posters in different languages from commercial films based on Poe's tales
· An Edgar, the annual award given by the Mystery Writers of America
· Illustrations of The Raven by James Carling (1857–1887)
· Original manuscripts of "Eulalie: a Song," "To Elizabeth," and Poe's autobiography
Poe: Man, Myth, or Monster will run through December 5, 2009. The exhibition is open from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Admission is free. Monthly curator-led tours and weekly docent-led tours are available. For tour information, please call 804-692-3592.

Poe's Women, a special exhibit of portraits of the women who inspired the author's life and work, will open July 3 at the Richmond Public Library and will run until August 30, 2009. The original acrylic paintings in this exhibit were created specially for the library's marble hall by internationally-exhibited fine artist and Poe Museum Curator Chris Semtner. Among the pieces in the show are portraits of Poe's wife/cousin Virginia Clemm Poe; Jane Stanard, his "first purely ideal love" who went insane when Poe was a child; Elmira Royster Shelton, the woman to whom Poe was twice engaged to marry; and Mary Rogers, the cigar girl whose murder inspired Poe's story "The Mystery of Marie Roget."

Coincidentally, one of Poe's boyhood homes once stood on the spot occupied by the Richmond Public Library, and, as a child, he played in the garden across the street, where the Linden Row Inn now stands. As part of the Poe Bicentennial celebration, another Poe-themed art exhibit Poe's Playground will be on display at the Linden Row Inn while Poe's Women is at the Public Library.

Poe's Women will run through August 30, 2009. The Richmond Public Library is open from 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday through Wednesday, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Thursday and Friday and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on Saturday. The Library is closed on Mondays.
Guests to the Richmond Region can enjoy all things Poe at a discount by booking a special-rate Poe Package either the Linden Row Inn or the Jefferson Hotel. I've stayed at both and would say they are of totally different "character." The Linden Row Inn is somewhat reminiscent of an older property in London and the Jefferson is the Grande Dame of Richmond with gilt, sweeping staircases and a most southern and gentile staff.

The Jefferson Hotel: Whether you need a romantic weekend for just the two of you, a long overdue reunion with friends or a fun getaway for the whole family, The Jefferson’s Shoestring Package is the perfect solution for the summer too.
One nights lodging, traditional Southern breakfast for two including gratuity, a $25.00 Jefferson Gift card (can be used anywhere in the hotel) Complimentary downtown transportation, Complimentary valet parking, $205 Superior Room/ $225 Deluxe Room, per night.
If you book more than one night they will increase the gift card to $50.00 on each of those additional nights.
The Poe package at the Jefferson Hotel is $450 plus tax for two nights. Includes traditional Southern breakfast for two including gratuity, Complimentary valet parking, and two passes to the Poe Museum and to St. John’s Church. Details at The Jefferson Hotel.

The Linden Row Inn: $369 plus tax for two nights (double occupancy). Includes two nights' stay in one of the Linden Row Inn's Main House rooms (rate includes valet parking, continental breakfast, wireless Internet, in-town shuttle, and fitness center access), two passes to a special Poe-themed Segway Tour of Downtown Richmond, two passes to the Poe Museum, two passes to tour historic St. John's Church (site where Patrick Henry gave his famous "Give me liberty or give me death" speech), and an Edgar Allan Poe Tote Bag with Poe Memorabilia. During their stay, guests can enjoy the Poe-themed art exhibit "Poe's Playground," on display through August 30, 2009. Details at The Linden Row Inn

The Poe Museum in Richmond, Virginia interprets the life and influence of Edgar Allan Poe for the education and enjoyment of the public. Founded in 1921, the Poe Museum houses the world's finest collection of Edgar Allan Poe artifacts and memorabilia. The five-building complex features permanent exhibits of Poe's manuscripts, personal items, clothing, and a lock of the author's hair. For more information about the Museum and its programs visit The Poe Museum.