Edgar Allan Poe — “Prospectuses (Penn/Stylus)”

Reading copy:

• “Prospectuses (Penn/Stylus)” — reading copy

Manuscripts and Authorized Printings:

• [Prospectus for an unspecified literary magazine] (about 1835) (In Our Press Gang, L. A. Wilmer comments that Poe “proposed to join me [Wilmer] in the publication of a monthly magazine of a superior intellectual character, and he had written a prospectus, which he transmitted to me for examination” (Mabbott, Merlin (1941), p. 26). Before Wilmer could act on the plan, Poe apparently accepted a position at the SLM.)
• “Prospectus of the Penn Magazine”
  • Text-01 — “[Prospectus of the Penn Magazine]” — 1836, no original manuscript or fragments are known to exist (but this version is presumably recorded in Text-02)
  • Text-02 — “Prospectus of the Penn Magazine”  — June 1840 (prior to June 4) — broadside
  • Text-03 — “Prospectus of the Penn Magazine”  — August 1840 — broadside (Heartman and Canny list a prospectus of September 1840, but this is actually just a second copy of the August 1840 broadsheet, sent with a later letter.)
  • Text-04 — “Prospectus of the Penn Magazine”  — September 11, 1840 — Daily Chronicle and General Advertiser) (The text is very similar to the August 1840 broadside, with some minor changes and an additional postscript. The prospectus appeared 36 times in the Daily Chronicle, see reprints, below, for details.)
  • Text-05 — “Prospectus of the Penn Magazine”  — January 1, 1841 — broadside (In a letter of October 5, 1842, to John Tomlin, Poe states that he plans to have a new prospectus printed, but there is no evidence that he actually did so.)
• “Prospectus of the Stylus”
  • Text-01 — “[Prospectus of the Stylus]” — about 1843, no original manuscript or fragments are known to exist (but this version is presumably recorded in Text-02)
  • Text-02 — “Prospectus of the Stylus”  (1843) — Saturday Museum
    • “Prospectus of the Stylus”  (February 25 1843 — Saturday Museum)  (No copy of this issue is known. The text is presumably identical to that reprinted in the March 4, 1843 issue.)
    • “Prospectus of the Stylus”  (March 4, 1843 — Saturday Museum) (Although some have suggested that they must also have been a broadside of this date, based in part on a misreading of the text printed by Gill, there appears to have been no broadside printed at this time.)
    • “Prospectus of the Stylus”  (March 11, 1843 — Saturday Museum) (An apparently unique copy in a private collection. The text is identical to that reprinted in the March 4, 1843 issue. Based on the curious presentation in Gill's biography of Poe, there has been some speculation that this copy was illustrated with the picture of the hand holding a stylus and writing the Greek word for “Truth.” First-hand examination of this issue, however, confirms that the prospectus has no illustration. It would appear that Gill merely reproduced the picture from the proposed cover Poe sent to E. H. N. Patterson.)
  • Text-03 — “Prospectus of the Stylus”  (January 1848 — broadside)
  • Text-04 — “Prospectus of the Stylus”  (April 1848 — broadside) (In a letter of November 20, 1848, to Edward Valentine, Poe sends the current prospectus and asks for money. Prior to the manuscript of the letter being printed, in 2019, Poe's reference in this letter was incorrectly rendered as “I need a prospectus,” when he really said only that “I send a prospectus.” There is no evidence of any subsequent prospectus.)

Reprints:

• “Prospectus of the Penn Magazine”  — June 6, 1840 — Saturday Evening Post
• “Prospectus of the Penn Magazine”  in Spirit of the Times
  • “Prospectus of the Penn Magazine”  — June 9, 1840 — Spirit of the Times (noted by Dwight Thomas, Poe in Philadelphia, p. 146, based on the advertiser notations, perhaps also indicating at least one additional printing. This probable printing is not repeated in The Poe Log.)
  • “Prospectus of the Penn Magazine”  — June 12, 1840 — Spirit of the Times (noted by J. Albert Robbins, PS, V, 2, 1972, p. 48)
• “Prospectus of the Penn Magazine”  — June 13, 1840 — Saturday Chronicle and Mirror of the Times (Philadelphia, PA)
• “Prospectus of the Penn Magazine”  — June 29, 1840 — Daily National Intelligencer (Washington, DC)
• “[Prospectus of the Penn Magazine]”  (June 13, 1840 — Saturday Courier (Philadelphia)) (substantial excerpts in a notice)
• “Prospectus of the Penn Magazine”  (reprints in Columbia Spy (Columbia, PA))
  • “Prospectus of the Penn Magazine”  (June 20, 1840) (It is possible that the prospectus was printed in one or more previous issues)
  • “Prospectus of the Penn Magazine”  (presumed reprint of above, June 27, 1840, no issue seen for verification)
  • “Prospectus of the Penn Magazine”  (presumed reprint of above, July 4, 1840, no issue seen for verification)
  • “Prospectus of the Penn Magazine”  (presumed reprint of above, July 11, 1840, no issue seen for verification)
  • “Prospectus of the Penn Magazine”  (presumed reprint of above, July 18, 1840, no issue seen for verification)
  • “Prospectus of the Penn Magazine”  (presumed reprint of above, July 25, 1840, no issue seen for verification)
  • “Prospectus of the Penn Magazine”  (presumed reprint of above, August 1, 1840, no issue seen for verification)
  • “Prospectus of the Penn Magazine”  (presumed reprint of above, August 8, 1840, no issue seen for verification)
  • “Prospectus of the Penn Magazine”  (reprint of above, August 15, 1840) (It is possible that the Prospectus was printed in one or more additional issues)
• “Prospectus of the Penn Magazine”  (reprints in Daily Chronicle and General Advertiser)
  • “Prospectus of the Penn Magazine”  (reprint of September 11 issue, September 12, 1840 — Daily Chronicle and General Advertiser) (There are 36 printings of the prospectus in the Daily Chronicle: 8 in September, 5 in October, and 23 in November, as noted by D. Thomas in Poe in Philadelphia, 1978, p. 161, and The Poe Log, p. 307)
  • “Prospectus of the Penn Magazine”  (reprint of above, September 14, 1840 — Daily Chronicle and General Advertiser)
  • “Prospectus of the Penn Magazine”  (reprint of above, September 16, 1840 — Daily Chronicle and General Advertiser)
  • “Prospectus of the Penn Magazine”  (reprint of above, September 17, 1840 — Daily Chronicle and General Advertiser)
  • “Prospectus of the Penn Magazine”  (reprint of above, September 18, 1840 — Daily Chronicle and General Advertiser)
  • “Prospectus of the Penn Magazine”  (reprint of above, September 22, 1840 — Daily Chronicle and General Advertiser)
  • “Prospectus of the Penn Magazine”  (reprint of above, September 25, 1840 — Daily Chronicle and General Advertiser)
  • “Prospectus of the Penn Magazine”  (reprint of above, October 12, 1840 — Daily Chronicle and General Advertiser)
  • “Prospectus of the Penn Magazine”  (reprint of above, October 16, 1840 — Daily Chronicle and General Advertiser)
  • “Prospectus of the Penn Magazine”  (reprint of above, October 19, 1840 — Daily Chronicle and General Advertiser)
  • “Prospectus of the Penn Magazine”  (reprint of above, October 28, 1840 — Daily Chronicle and General Advertiser)
  • “Prospectus of the Penn Magazine”  (reprint of above, October 31, 1840 — Daily Chronicle and General Advertiser)
  • “Prospectus of the Penn Magazine”  (reprint of above, November 2, 1840 — Daily Chronicle and General Advertiser)
  • “Prospectus of the Penn Magazine”  (reprint of above, November 30, 1840 — Daily Chronicle and General Advertiser)
• “Prospectus of the Penn Magazine”  — Franklin Telegraph and Democratic Advertiser (Chambersburg, PA)
  • “Prospectus of the Penn Magazine”  — Franklin Telegraph and Democratic Advertiser (Chambersburg, PA) — December 7, 1840
  • “Prospectus of the Penn Magazine”  — Franklin Telegraph and Democratic Advertiser (Chambersburg, PA) — December 14, 1840
  • “Prospectus of the Penn Magazine”  — Franklin Telegraph and Democratic Advertiser (Chambersburg, PA) — December 21, 1840
  • “Prospectus of the Penn Magazine”  — Franklin Telegraph and Democratic Advertiser (Chambersburg, PA) — January 11, 1841
  • “Prospectus of the Penn Magazine”  — Franklin Telegraph and Democratic Advertiser (Chambersburg, PA) — January 18, 1841
  • “Prospectus of the Penn Magazine”  — Franklin Telegraph and Democratic Advertiser (Chambersburg, PA) — January 25, 1841
• “Prospectus of the Penn Magazine”  — Salt River Journal (Bowling Green, MO) (There are 7 printings of the prospectus in the Salt River Journal. The editor and proprietor was A. H. Buckner)
  • “Prospectus of the Penn Magazine”  — January 30, 1841 — Salt River Journal (Bowling Green, MO) (vol. 8, no. 16, p. 3, col. 5) (the full prospectus is printed)
  • “Prospectus of the Penn Magazine”  — February 6, 1841 — Salt River Journal (Bowling Green, MO) (vol. 8, no. 17, p. 3, col. 5) (the full prospectus is printed)
  • “Prospectus of the Penn Magazine”  — February 13, 1841 — Salt River Journal (Bowling Green, MO) (vol. 8, no. 18, p. 3, col. 5) (the full prospectus is printed)
  • “Prospectus of the Penn Magazine”  — February 20, 1841 — Salt River Journal (Bowling Green, MO) (vol. 8, no. 19, p. 3, col. 5) (the full prospectus is printed)
  • “Prospectus of the Penn Magazine”  — February 27, 1841 — Salt River Journal (Bowling Green, MO) (vol. 8, no. 20, p. 4, col. 3) (the full prospectus is printed)
  • “Prospectus of the Penn Magazine”  — March 6, 1841 — Salt River Journal (Bowling Green, MO) (vol. 8, no. 21, p. 4, col. 3) (the full prospectus is printed)
  • “Prospectus of the Penn Magazine”  — March 13, 1841 — Salt River Journal (Bowling Green, MO) (vol. 8, no. 22, p. 4, col. 3) (the full prospectus is printed)
• “Prospectus of the Stylus”  (excerpts April 29, 1843 — Boston Notion)

Scholarly and Noteworthy Reprints:

• “Prospectus for ‘The Stylus’ ” — 1874 — John H. Ingram, “Memoir” The Works of Edgar A. Poe, (January 1848, incomplete: pp. lxxi-lxii)
• “Prospectus for ‘The Stylus’ ” — 1876 — William Fearing Gill, “New Facts about Edgar A. Poe” Laurel Leaves, (March 1843: pp. 372-373, incomplete)
• “Prospectus for ‘The Stylus’ ” — 1877 — William Fearing Gill, The Life of E. A. Poe, Boston (March 1843: pp. 115-118)
• “[Prospectus for ‘The Stylus’]” — 1880 — Edgar Allan Poe: Life, Letters and Opinons, John H. Ingram, London: John Hogg (April 1848: 2:129-131)
• “[Prospectus of ‘The Penn’]” — 1902 — The Complete Works of Edgar Allan Poe, vol. 17: Letters, pp. 58-61, ed. J. A. Harrison, New York: T. Y. Crowell, 1902 (the August 1840 prospectus is given in a letter from Poe to J. Tomlin)
• “[Prospectus for ‘The Penn’]” — 1909 — The Life of Edgar Allan Poe, Personal and Literary, George E. Woodberry, Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co. (January 1, 1848: 1:271-275) (from the letter to J. E. Snodgrass, Jan. 17, 1841, now in the NYPL)
• “[Prospectus for ‘The Penn’]” — 1926 — Israfel: The Life and Times of Edgar Allan Poe, Hervey Allen, New York: George H. Doran Co. (January 1, 1841: 2:467-469)
• “[Prospectuses for ‘The Penn’ and ‘The Stylus’]” — 1932 — “A Census of First Editions and Source Materials by Edgar Allen [[Allan]] Poe in American Public and Private Collections,” Kenneth Rede and C. H. Heartman, The American Book Collector: A Monthly Magazine for Book Collectors vol. I, consecutive numbers (June 1840: 1:80-83; January 1848: 1:144-145; April 1848: 1:145-148, with a facsimile.)
• “[Prospectuses for ‘The Penn’ and ‘The Stylus’]” — 1932 — A Census of First Editions and Source Materials by Edgar Allan Poe in American Collections, C. H. Heartman and Kenneth Rede, 3 vols. (June 1840: 1:22-31; January 1848: 1:43-47; April 1848: 1:48-54.)
• “[Prospectuses for ‘The Penn’ and ‘The Stylus’]” — 1940 — A Bibliography of First Printings of the Writings of Edgar Allan Poe, C. H. Heartman and J. R. Canny, Hattiesburg, MS: The Book Farm (June 1840: pp. 37-41; September 1840 (actually August 1840): pp. 42-44; January 1, 1841: pp. 45-48; March 1843: pp. 49-54; January 1848: pp. 78-80; April 1848: pp. 81-85.)
• “[Prospectuses for ‘The Penn’ and ‘The Stylus’]” — 1941 — Edgar Allan Poe: A Critical Biography, Arthur Hobson Quinn, New York: D. Appleton-Century Co. (August 1840: pp. 306-308; March 1843: pp. 375-376)
• “[Prospectuses for ‘The Penn’ and ‘The Stylus’]” — 1943 — A Bibliography of First Printings of the Writings of Edgar Allan Poe, C. H. Heartman and J. R. Canny, Hattiesburg, MS: The Book Farm (June 1840: pp. 54-58; August 1840: pp. 58-59; September 1840 (actually a second copy of August 1840): pp. 60-61; January 1, 1841: pp. 62-63; March 1843: pp. 70-75; January 1848: pp. 116-118; April 1848: pp. 118-121.)
• “[Prospectuses for ‘The Stylus’]” — 1974 — “Poe's Iron Pen,” Discoveries in Poe, Burton R. Pollin, Notre Dame: University of Notre Dame Press (March 1843: pp. 218-221; April 1848: pp. 225-227, from the copy in the Lilly Library.)
• “[Prospectuses for ‘The Penn’ and ‘The Stylus’]” — 1984 — Edgar Allan Poe: Essays and Reviews, G. Richard Thompson, ed., New York: The Library of America (August 1840: pp. 1024-1026; March 1843: pp. 1033-1035)
• “Prospectuses for ‘The Penn’ and ‘The Stylus’ ” — 2009 — Edgar Allan Poe: Critical Theory, Stuart and Susan F. Levine, eds., Chicago: University of Illinois Press (pp. 21-36) (June 1840: pp. 23-25; August 1840: pp. 25-27; March 1843: pp. 28-32; January 1848: pp. 32-34; April 1848: pp. 34-36)

Instream Comparative and Study Texts:

• None

Miscellaneous Texts and Related Items:

• [Prospectus of the Penn Magazine] — 1904 — Edgar Poe: Sa vie et son oeuvre, Paris: Félix Alcan  (French translation by Emile Lauvrière, from the January 1841 text)

Facsimiles:

• [Prospectus of the Stylus] — 1924 — The Stephen H. Wakeman Collection of Books of Nineteenth Century American Writers, American Art Association auction catalog (January 1848: item 957, greatly reduced) (This version of the prospectus had a brief note of 5 lines written on the back, lines which are not identified as a postscript of a letter from Poe to G. W. Eveleth. This appears to be the copy later owned by Owen D. Young, and now at the New York Public Library, Berg Collection)
• “[Prospectus for ‘The Stylus’]” — 1932 — “A Census of First Editions and Source Materials by Edgar Allen [[Allan]] Poe in American Public and Private Collections,” Kenneth Rede and C. H. Heartman, The American Book Collector: A Monthly Magazine for Book Collectors vol. I (April 1848: frontispiece) (This is apparently the copy now in the J. K. Lilly Library, University of Indiana)
• [Prospectus of the Stylus] — 1934 — Commentary on the Bibliography of Edgar A. Poe, John W. Robertson, San Francisco: Edwin & Robert Grabhorn (January 1848: facing p. 277) (Robertson claims that this copy of the prospectus was at one time part of his collection.)
• [Prospectus of the Penn Magazine] — 1973 — A Descriptive Catalog of Edgar Allan Poe Manuscripts in the Humanities Research Center Library at the University of Texas at Austin, Joseph H. Moldenhauer, Austin: The University of Texas (June 1840: p. 46) (the prospectus is described as item 38)
• [Prospectus of the Stylus] — 1994 — John Henry Ingram's Poe Collection at the University of Virginia, John Reilly, ed. (second edition), Charlottesville, University of Virginia Library (p. 104) (the prospectus is described as item 476)
• [Prospectuses of the Penn] — 1983 — Bibliography of American Literature: Volume VII, Jacob Blanck, compiler, V. L. Smyers and Michael Winship, eds., New Haven: Yale University Press (June 1840: entry no. 16134A, from the University of Texas at Austin; August 1840: entry no. 16134B, from the Historical Society of Pennsylvania; September 1840: entry no. 16134C, from the New York Public Library, Berg Collection)
• [Prospectuses for the Penn and the Stylus] — 2008 — The Collected Letters of Edgar Allan Poe, J. Ostrom, B. R. Pollin and J. Savoye, eds., New York: The Gordian Press (June 1840: ill. 23, in section between 1:546-547; April 1848: ill. 55, facing 2:685)

• Heartman, Charles F. and James R. Canny, A Bibliography of First Printings of the Writings of Edgar Allan Poe, Hattiesburg, MS: The Book Farm, 1943.
• Levine, Stuart and Susan F., eds., Edgar Allan Poe: Critical Theory, Chicago: University of Illinois Press, 2009
• Mabbott, Thomas Ollive, ed., The Collected Works of Edgar Allan Poe (Vols 2-3 Tales and Sketches), Cambridge, Mass.: The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 1978.