new Poe book by Chris Semtner!

It looks like everybody's favorite Poe Museum curator, Chris Semtner, is coming out with a book called Edgar Allan Poe's Richmond: The Raven in the River City.

I've known Chris for a while now, mostly just from being a major lurker around the Poe Musuem, and he's a super friendly and knowledgeable guy. His work at the museum bringing fresh perspectives to an aging topic is always stellar. He never runs out of ways to examine how much Poe has influenced life as we know it.

As Harry Kollatz points on out in his article on the book, Chris has got multiple book signings coming up, so take advantage of having a Poe expert in your city and go meet him.

half off Va Historical Society membership!

Today's Groupon is for half off a membership to the Virginia Historical Society -- you can't beat that!  Support local history preservation and join up.

monsters from Japanese lore.

This isn't remotely local, but I thought it was creepy enough to share anyway:  Monsters from the Kaibutsu Ehon, 1881 (via How to Be a Retronaut).

Old Fulton

When you look at the depressing wasteland that is there now, the bulldozing of Fulton seems senseless.  They've managed to slap down a few generic-looking houses but for the entire time I've lived in Richmond it's just looked like a construction zone.  Check out some of the history of that area in this WTVR video, via CHPN.

I really didn't have any knowledge of this place existing, though I assumed something must have been there before.  It looks similar to Oregon Hill, and I can't imagine what Richmond would look like if the city had applied similar plans to all the other historical neighborhoods during hard times.

vinegar valentines

I had never heard of the 19th century practice of "vinegar valentines" until this week when I saw this article from Birmingham Museums and Art Gallery.  Vinegar valentines are "insulting cards mocking the recipient's appearance, profession or behaviour and predicting a loveless future."  Wow.  I thought our generation was nasty.