Edgar Allan Poe — “Doings of Gotham”

Reading copy:

• “Doings of Gotham” — reading copy

Manuscripts and Authorized Printings:

• Text-01 — Doings of Gotham   (manuscript material)
  • Letter I — about May 10, 1844 — (a manuscript must have existed, but other than the original printing, there is no mention or trace of it, and it is now presumably lost.)
  • Letter II — about May 17, 1844 — (a manuscript must have existed, but other than the original printing, there is no mention or trace of it, and it is now presumably lost.)
  • Letter III — about May 23, 1844 — (a manuscript must have existed, but other than the original printing, there is no mention or trace of it, and it is now presumably lost.)
  • Letter IV — June 4, 1844 — “Bowen” manuscript (quoted in the New York Times, January 14, 1912, but now presumably lost. Although the item is not specifically described as a manuscript, the inclusion of a postscript makes it clear that it was. Mabbott's note to the 1929 printing mentions the manuscript in a rather tentative way, stating: “The manuscript seems to have survived, though in badly damaged condition,” and mentioning the reprinted text in the Times. The reprinted text has several portions that are represented by asterisks, which implies missing text. Mabbott has presumably made his assumption based on this observation, and not obtained any further information from some personal effort to locate it in New York. If it was in very poor condition, that might explain why it has not been located more recently.)
  • Letter V — June 12, 1844 — “Rosenbach” manuscript (Mary Stillman Harkness (1874-1950) and Edward Stephen Harkness (1874-1940), acquired by the NYPL upon her death. Currently in the Edward S. and Mary Stillman Harkness collection, New York Public Library, Archives and Manuscripts Division, v. 16.)
  • Letter VI — June 18, 1844 — “Whitaker” manuscript (This manuscript was apparently given by Bowen to Dr. Samuel Adams Whitaker. Sent by “T. F. S.” in 1858 to John Allister McAllister (1822-1896). “T. F. S.” is probably Thomas Fassitt Shewell (1810-after 1891), a merchant of Philadelphia, later a resident of Bristol, PA. The manuscript is currently owned by Library Company of Philadelphia, on deposit at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania (1300 Locust Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107), part of McA MSS 001.
  • Letter VII — about June 21, 1844 — (a manuscript must have existed, but other than the original printing, there is no mention or trace of it, and it is now presumably lost.)
• Text-02 — Doings of Gotham
  • “Letter I  — May 18, 1844 — Columbia Spy  (letter dated May 14, 1844)
  • “Letter II  — May 25, 1844 — Columbia Spy  (letter dated May 21, 1844)
  • “Letter III  — June 1, 1844 — Columbia Spy  (letter dated May 27, 1844)
  • “Letter IV  — June 8, 1844 — Columbia Spy  (letter dated June 4, 1844)
  • “Letter V  — June 15, 1844 — Columbia Spy  (letter dated June 12, 1844)
  • “Letter VI  — June 29, 1844 — Columbia Spy  (letter dated June 18, 1844)
  • “Letter VII  — July 6, 1844 — Columbia Spy  (letter dated June 25, 1844)

Reprints:

• Letter VI — 1909 — The Life and Letters of Edgar Allan Poe, by George E. Woodberry (2:81-87) (printed from the manuscript, in the Ridgeway Library in Philadelphia, PA)
• Letter IV — January 14, 1912 — the New York Times (printed from the manuscript sent to the Columbia Spy)

Scholarly and Noteworthy Reprints:

• Doings of Gotham — 1929 — Spannuth, Jacob E. and T. O. Mabbott, eds., Pottsville, PA: Jacob E. Spannuth (Collects Poe's contributions to the Columbia Spy. The editors make some small changes and errors in reproducing Poe's texts.)
  

Instream Comparative and Study Texts:

• None

Plain Text Files for Juxta:

• None

Miscellaneous Texts and Related Items:

• None

• 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.
• 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.
• Spannuth, Jacob E. and T. O. Mabbott, Doings of Gotham, Pottsville, PA: Jacob E. Spannuth, 1929. (Collects Poe's contributions to the Columbia Spy.)