Unveiled at the Metropolitan Museum on May 4, 1885, the Edgar Allan Poe Memorial was commissioned by a group of New York actors to honor the legendary writer.

Designed by Park in Florence, the memorial features a bronze relief portrait of Poe set within a classical marble entablature. Beside it, a full-length marble figure holds a wreath of oak leaves and acorns. The inscription, written by drama critic William Winter, pays tribute to Poe’s literary legacy.