Blame it on my historian heart, but I love marking anniversaries. 2024 is especially full of them, however, and all these numbers are a tad alarming: it's the 175th Anniversary of Edgar Allan Poe's death in Baltimore, the 75th Anniversary of the Edgar Allan Poe House & Museum, the 60th Anniversary of Roger Corman's 1964 classic horror film Masque of the Red Death starring Vincent Price, and the 200th Anniversary of the Marquis de Lafayette's triumphant 1824 return to the United States after the Revolutionary War.
One of these things seems not like the others? <insert historian voice> Well, actually... Edgar Allan Poe's grandparents served in the Revolutionary War and were noted by the Marquis during that eponymous visit for their contribution to the cause of Liberty. We're excited to share plans for an upcoming exhibit, "Poe, Revolution, and the Marquis de Lafayette," at a fundraiser in June!
All of this to say that this year's International Edgar Allan Poe Festival & Awards coincides very neatly with all of these worthy commemorations and therefore this year's festival (our 7th!) is promising to be one for the ages, including a special tribute and MOVIE NITE to honor the extraordinary life and passing of Roger Corman and Vincent Price. More math: discount pre-sales end May 31st and General Admission and events tickets go on sale June 1! David Gaylin's new book on the death of Poe has arrived. And one more: deadline is TONIGHT for artists and writers to enter the Saturday 'Visiter' Awards. Shiver.
Enrica Jang
Director, Poe Baltimore
P.S. Our commemoration of the 75th Anniversary of the Poe House & Museum in Baltimore continues. Each month we're sharing facts, points of interest, and hidden history of Poe House, from its savior from demolition in 1940, to the future of the museum as we look ahead to transformation and expansion. In our newsletter this month we share how the E.A. Poe Society of Baltimore took over stewardship at Amity Street.
