Home >
Theatrical ad includes Edgar Allan Poe's father...
Theatrical ad includes Edgar Allan Poe's father...
Item # 725290
February 23, 1807
BOSTON GAZETTE, Feb. 23, 1807
* Edgar Allan Poe's father theater ad
A curious literary item here as the top of page 3 has an advertisement for the "Boston Theatre" for the performance of: "OTHELLO", a theatrical performance, with the character "Montano" performed by "Mr. Poe" and more. (see image) He was the father of Edgar Allan Poe.
News of the day and other interesting advertisements. Four pages, light damp staining, nice condition.
background: In the early months of 1807, the Boston Theatre on Federal Street served as the professional home for David Poe Jr., where he performed a variety of supporting Shakespearean roles, most notably portraying Montano in Othello on January 30 and February 23. While his wife, Eliza Poe, was the company’s celebrated leading lady, David’s turn as the Governor of Cyprus placed him in the center of the play’s pivotal turning point—the drunken brawl in Act II that leads to Cassio’s downfall. This specific period in Boston was a whirlwind for the Poe family; in fact, their first son, William Henry Leonard, was born on the very same day as the January 30th performance. Despite the rigorous schedule of the stock company, David's career was often overshadowed by his wife’s brilliance and his own reported struggles with stage fright and critical reception, yet these performances remain a vital piece of literary history, marking the atmosphere of the theatrical world into which his second son, Edgar Allan Poe, would be born just two years later.
Category: Pre-Civil War
Available Now
$38.00
