Indeed, during the evening to celebrate the 202nd anniversary of Poe, we learned that the City of Baltimore had decided to stop funding given to the museum and a policy of self-financing had been started .. .
Unfortunately, nowadays, a small museum can hardly survive alone.
A summary of the case, Jeff Jerome, curator du musée Poe à Baltimore :
" As of July 2010 the City of Baltimore cut the funds for the Poe House curator position and all other expenses for the Poe House.
The City Finance Department instructed the Commission for Historic and Architectural Preservation to develop a business plan to make the Poe House self sustaining by June of 2012. Currentlly there are four proposals submitted by museum consultants that are being examined. We are cautiously optimistic that a business plan will be developed. However, the Poe House will still close on or before June of 2012 regardless of whether there is a business plan or not. We have no idea who will implement the business plan if there is one.
Rumors: There are no plans to move Poe's body to Philadelphia and there are no plans to close Westminster Hall. The hall is owned by the Westminster Preservation Trust and has no connection with the City of Baltimore.
The bare bones budget is approximately $80,000 a year. The Poe House should have enough funds to keep the house open until June 2012. It is now surviving through money raised by the Poe Birthday Celebration and donations. No closing date has been decided upon. It could be as early as December of this year of in the Spring of 2012.
The Poe House and Visit Baltimore recieved an award from the State of Maryland for bringing in print media advertising and marketing for Baltimore worth more than $1.9 million through the highly successful Nevermore 2009 celebration. Other venues in Baltimore also held successful Poe related events.
In addition the museum has been responsible for the equivalent of $4.5 million in public relation stories for the city and has created tourism buzz for the celebrations of Poe's funeral in 2009.
If in fact the Poe House does close the last Poe Birthday Celebration was this past January. A large "going away" event is planned for March of 2012 to say goodbye to the Poe House.
As of this date and time these are the facts and this is a fluid situation and anything can happen.
We cannot advise or tell people what to do. If you feel so inclined you can voice your displeasure in a polite and constructive manner to whomever you feel the need to communicate with. REPEAT: constructive and polite!
This Will Be updated information as conditions warrant. I Appreciate All the comments and suggestions and It Is Deeply Appreciated. If you wish
to make a donation please send me a note and I will tell you how do Make the donation.
To be continued ... "
(From July 2010 the City of Baltimore has cut funding for the position of curator of the museum as well as any other expense of the Poe House.
The Finance Department has instructed the City Commission for the Preservation Historical and Architectural develop a plan to the Poe House is self-financing by June 2012. At present four proposals were submitted by consultants and the museum which will be discussed. Our optimism about the development of such a plan could not be more careful ... However, the Poe House in or close well before June 2012, there is a plan or not. We have no idea who will implement this plan, if there is one.
Rumor: There is no question of moving the body of Poe in Philadelphia and there is no question that Westminster Hall closes. Hall belongs to the Westminster Preservation Trust and has no link with the City of Baltimore.
Most of the budget is approximately $ 80,000 per year. The Poe House should have enough funds to keep the house open until June 2012. She now survives thanks to money raised at the Celebration of the anniversary of Poe and donations. No closing date has been decided so far. This could be done both in December this year or spring 2012. The Poe House
Visit Baltimore and received an award from the state of Maryland have reported more than 1.9 million dollars, press advertising and marketing, thanks to the very successful celebration Nevermore 2009. Other places in Baltimore have also brilliantly hosted events related to Poe.
addition, the museum reported the equivalent of 4.5 million in public relations for the city and created a buzz tourism during the celebration of Poe's funeral in 2009.
If in fact the Poe House should close, the last celebration of the anniversary of Poe then took place last January. A big event "Farewell" is scheduled for March 2012 to say goodbye to the Poe House.
Here are the facts as they are today is a situation not arrested and anything can still happen.
We can not advise or tell people what to do. If you wish, you can express your disagreement in a polite and constructively to whomever you want. I repeat: constructive and polite!
This information will be updated as conditions warrant. All comments and suggestions will be really appreciated.
If you wish to donate, please let me know and I'll tell you how. To be continued ...")
Article Associated Press:
"cuts off Baltimore Poe House Funding for
By BEN Nuckols, Associated Press - Fri Feb 4, 5:31 pm ET
BALTIMORE - Baltimore has cut off Funding for The Edgar Allan Poe House and Museum, One Of The Strongest Links Between the literary icon and the city that claims him as its own.
Curator Jeff Jerome says he's been told that the Poe House must become self-sustaining by mid-2012, or it will close. The city hasn't been funding the museum since last summer, but Jerome is keeping it open with money he's raised over the years.
The Poe House had been funded at $80,000 a year, which includes Jerome's salary, a security system, utilities and supplies. Jerome has been the curator and sole employee since the city took control of the building in 1979.
Poe lived in the tiny west Baltimore rowhouse with his aunt and cousins during some lean years in the 1830s, before he became famous."
(" Baltimore coupe the grant of the Poe House By BEN
Nuckols, Associated Press - Friday, February 4, 5:31 p.m.
BALTIMORE - Baltimore has stopped funding the Edgar Allan Poe House and Museum, one of the strongest links between the literary icon and the city that loves to proclaim that he owns.
Curator Jeff Jerome said that he was announced as the Poe House was to become independent by mid-2012, or close it. The city stopped funding the museum since last summer, but Jerome keeps open with the money he collected for years.
The Poe House receives $ 80,000 per year, which includes salary Jerome, system security, utilities supplies. Jerome is the curator and sole employee of the museum since the city has taken over the building in 1979.
Poe lived in this tiny house west of Baltimore with his aunt and his cousins for a few difficult years in the 1830s before becoming famous. ")
(The full article by here.)
here For another article, the Baltimore Sun.
The only thing to do, I think, is to change the minds of members of city council, which is why I wrote to the mayor, Ms. Rawlings-Blake ... The petitions
(and there ) are underway (including a link on this blog for a few days (see bottom or right)), a Facebook page and you can also follow the news and the actions of fans (or not) on the pages of Poe Museum FB and the curator Jeff Jerome .
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| It's easy: you fill out the short form with your details; you can if you wish, leave a word you click "Sign"; then you get to a new page where you click again on "Sign" to confirm;). |
With all the news Poe (you see yourself, there's not three days without me telling you about something new on Poe ...: p) I do not understand that we would want to abandon such a heritage ...
If you want you can relay the info, especially in the literary, historical and cultural, or even write to the Mayor of Baltimore, or even contribute funds to the museum:);)
(Address mayor of Baltimore:
Office of the Mayor, City of Baltimore
100 North Holliday Street
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