Fans Make Last Vigil For ‘Poe Toaster’
For the third year, the “Poe Toaster” – who once faithfully marked the birth of Edgar Allan Poe with a tribute of three roses and cognac – failed to make the nocturnal trip to the writer’s original grave in Baltimore, apparently ending a tradition that lasted more than half a century. Yesterday was the anniversary of the 1809 birth of Poe, who died in Baltimore in 1849 at age 40. In an annual observance of Poe’s birth, a mysterious person dressed in black, flaunting a white scarf and wearing a wide-brimmed hat would visit the graveside monument at Baltimore’s Westminster Hall, a former church, and leave three roses and half a bottle of cognac. The sightings of the “Poe Toaster” were first reported as early as 1950. Jeff Jerome, curator of the city’s Edgar Allan Poe House and Museum, said yesterday the visits were likely nevermore. While there is a dispute over what killed Poe, alcoholism was likely a contributing factor, along with a host of other conditions including tuberculosis and a broken heart. After the “Poe Toaster” failed to show in 2010, last year’s vigil attracted imposters, including a man who arrived in a limo as well as a few women.
For the third year, the “Poe Toaster” – who once faithfully marked the birth of Edgar Allan Poe with a tribute of three roses and cognac – failed to make the nocturnal trip to the writer’s original grave in Baltimore, apparently ending a tradition that lasted more than half a century. Yesterday was the anniversary of the 1809 birth of Poe, who died in Baltimore in 1849 at age 40. In an annual observance of Poe’s birth, a mysterious person dressed in black, flaunting a white scarf and wearing a wide-brimmed hat would visit the graveside monument at Baltimore’s Westminster Hall, a former church, and leave three roses and half a bottle of cognac. The sightings of the “Poe Toaster” were first reported as early as 1950. Jeff Jerome, curator of the city’s Edgar Allan Poe House and Museum, said yesterday the visits were likely nevermore. While there is a dispute over what killed Poe, alcoholism was likely a contributing factor, along with a host of other conditions including tuberculosis and a broken heart. After the “Poe Toaster” failed to show in 2010, last year’s vigil attracted imposters, including a man who arrived in a limo as well as a few women.
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