On January 31st, the Providence Athenæum will travel back in time to celebrate the life and legacy of Edgar Allan Poe. The entire library will come alive with an array of weird and wonderful attractions including an immersive performance of “The Raven,” a spiritualist photobooth, music by Community MusicWorks, a visit from Providence Ghost Tours, and themed cocktails. Party like it’s 1848 in the very building where Poe visited, read, and courted his fiancée Sarah Helen Whitman before their dramatic break-up. Proceeds from this evening will directly benefit the Athenæum’s collections, programs, and historic home.

21+ event. Open bar & hors d’oeuvres served. Event will take place on both levels of the building. Dark/gothic/Victorian/cocktail attire welcome.

This event serves as the opening of the major exhibition Ravenous: The Enduring Legacy of Poe, on view through April 2019. Showcasing the Athenæum’s extensive collection of Poe-mania, the exhibit also will display incredible items from Brown University’s John Hay Library (including a lock of Poe’s own hair) and from the world-renowned Susan Jaffe Tane Collection of Edgar Allan Poe (featuring objects from a first edition of “The Raven” to a Poe-themed skateboard).

Event sponsors will be invited to a VIP reception preceding the main celebration from 6-7pm in the Reading Room and Philbrick Rare Book Room for the premier viewing of the Ravenous exhibition, a champagne toast, and remarks from Susan Jaffe Tane, the foremost private Poe collector in the world.

Tickets are limited, and we expect to sell out quickly! If you are unable to attend, but would like to make a donation in support of the Athenæum and its programs, please click here to make a gift online.

Please contact Jenny Young at 401-421-6970 x28 or jyoung@provath.org with any questions about the event or if you would prefer to pay by check.