Gimbel, Richard, Dr.

Edgar Allan Poe published many works of fiction, including The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym (1838), Tales of the Grotesque and Arabesque (1840), and Tales by Edgar A. Poe (1845). His most famous work, "The Raven," was published in 1845. He was born in Boston on January 19, 1809, the second child of actors Eliza Arnold Poe and David Poe, Jr. After his father abandoned the family and his mother died in 1811, Edgar was taken in by John and Frances (Fanny) Allan. In 1815, Poe accompanied John and Fanny to England, where he attended several boarding schools. The family returned to Virginia in 1820. In 1826, Poe studied briefly at the University of Virginia and then enlisted in the Army. He remained there for two years before obtaining a discharge to attend West Point. Poe's term at West Point lasted just a year, from March of 1830 to March of 1831. In April he made his way to Baltimore and moved in with his aunt, Maria Clemm, and her daughter, Virginia. In 1834 Poe married his cousin Virginia. In the spring of 1835, the family moved back to Richmond where Poe took a position with the Southern Literary Messenger. In 1837 Poe left his position as editor of the Messenger and worked as a critic and editor, most notably at Burton's Gentleman's Magazinein Philadelphia (1839-1840) and at The Broadway Journal in New York (1845). In 1847, Virginia Poe died after a long battle with tuberculosis. Suffering ill health himself, and beaten down after his long battle with poverty, Poe continued to write and lecture, but his mental state seemed to decline. He was found unconscious on a street in Baltimore in the fall of 1849 and died on October 7. Richard Gimbel (1898-1970) was a leading rare book and manuscript collector and the son of the founder of Gimbel's department store. He donated this collection to the Free Library in 1971.

From the description of Colonel Richard A. Gimbel collection of Edgar Allan Poe materials, 1809-1995. (Franklin & Marshall College). WorldCat record id: 352887295