Elisabeth "Bessie" Ellicott Poe (July 27, 1886-September 29, 1947)[1][2][3] and Vylla Ellicott Poe Wilson (February 27, 1883-October 2, 1969)[4] were journalists in Washington, DC. They sometimes collaborated on a woman's column under the name the Poe Sisters.

Elisabeth Ellicott Poe
BornJuly 27, 1886 Edit this on Wikidata
Philadelphia Edit this on Wikidata
DiedSeptember 29, 1947 Edit this on Wikidata (aged 61)
Washington, D.C. Edit this on Wikidata
OccupationArtist Edit this on Wikidata
Vylla Poe Wilson
BornFebruary 27, 1883 Edit this on Wikidata
New Jersey Edit this on Wikidata
DiedOctober 2, 1969 Edit this on Wikidata (aged 86)
Washington, D.C. Edit this on Wikidata
OccupationArtist Edit this on Wikidata

They were the daughters of inventor George Poe, Jr., a cousin of the poet Edgar Allan Poe.[5] For most of their lives, they worked for mostly Washington DC newspapers, including the Washington Post, the Washington Times, the Washington Times-Herald, and King Features Syndicate, in a variety of editorial capacities, covering art, women's issues, and the White House.[3][4][6]

During World War I, the Poe sisters were organizers of the Women's Section of the Navy League and its training camp for women in Chevy Chase, Maryland.[7]

In 1933, Evalyn Walsh McLean, wife of Washington Post owner Edward Beale McLean, enlisted the sisters to briefly pawn the Hope Diamond on her behalf when she needed cash.[8]

Together, the Poe sisters published the books Edgar Allan Poe: A High Priest of the Beautiful and Half-Forgotten Romances of American History. In 1930, they started a magazine called The Stylus, named after the periodical Edgar Allan Poe was unable to create.[9] Both sisters were painters and exhibited their work locally. Elisabeth Poe exhibited more frequently and primarily painted watercolors.[3][10]

References

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  1. ^ Koykka, Arthur S. (1986). Project remember : a national index of gravesites of notable Americans. Internet Archive. Algonac, MI : Reference Publications. ISBN 978-0-917256-22-6.
  2. ^ Marquis-Who S Who, Inc (1975). Who was who in american history, arts and letters. Internet Archive. Chicago : Marquis Who'S Who. ISBN 978-0-8379-3301-6. {{cite book}}: |first= has generic name (help)
  3. ^ a b c "Miss Elisabeth Poe, Newspaperwoman and Artist, Dies". Washington Star. September 30, 1947. pp. A-3.
  4. ^ a b "Wylla Poe Wilson Dies; Newspaperwoman, 86". Washington Star. October 4, 1969.
  5. ^ "George Poe is dead". Washington Post. February 3, 1914. p. 16.
  6. ^ Ross, Ishbel (1936). Ladies Of The Press.
  7. ^ "Baltimore Girls who will prepare for war service at Chevy Chase". Baltimore Sun. 9 Apr 1916. p. 28.
  8. ^ Richard Kurin (2006). Hope diamond. Internet Archive. Smithsonian Books. ISBN 978-0-06-087351-6.
  9. ^ "Cousins Found Magazine Like Poe Dreamed Of". Brooklyn Daily Eagle. 19 Jan 1930. pp. A8.
  10. ^ None (1999). Who was who in American art, 1564-1975 : 400 years of artists in America. Internet Archive. Madison, CT : Sound View Press. ISBN 978-0-932087-55-3.