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Cornell University
is
hosting an online exhibit of an amazing collection of Poe books and
manuscripts. It includes first printings of all of the books printed
during Poe's lifetime, with one of only 12 known copies of the 1827
Tamerlane, along with a number of letters and manuscripts of such
literary works as "Epimanies," "Spirits of the Dead," "To Zante" and
several fragments. A printed catalog is also available from
Cornell.
Web Site: http://rmc.library.cornell.edu/poe/
Reservations should be noted about two items in
the
exhibit:
1) A
silhouette of Poe, with the initials "EAP." This item has been
questioned by Michael Deas, the recognized authority on Poe
iconography.
2) A charchoal portrait supposedly of Poe and Mrs. Allan.
The woman in the portrait bears no resemblance to Frances Allan, and
the boy is too young to allow for the possibility of the woman being
the second Mrs. Allan. More troubling, the clothing suggests a date
closer to 1880 than 1820. Charcoal portraits gained great popularity in
the latter half of the 19th century.
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