The ''Baltimore Saturday Visiter'' was a weekly periodical in

Baltimore Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...

, Maryland, in 1832. It published some of the early works of Baltimore writer

Edgar Allan Poe Edgar Allan Poe (; January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849) was an American writer, poet, editor, and literary critic who is best known for his poetry and short stories, particularly his tales involving mystery and the macabre. He is widely re ...

History

''Baltimore Saturday Visiter'' was founded in 1832 by Charles Cloud and Lambert Wilmer, a friend of

. The periodical was initially popular. It later became

abolitionist Abolitionism, or the abolitionist movement, is the political movement to end slavery and liberate enslaved individuals around the world. The first country to fully outlaw slavery was Kingdom of France, France in 1315, but it was later used ...

, and in 1847 was absorbed by '' The National Era'', an abolitionist publication in Washington D.C. Poe submitted to the ''Visiter'' six tales as entries to a contest sponsored by the publication. The newspaper promised a $50 prize for the best tale and a $25 prize for the best poem submitted by October 1, 1833. In response, about 100 entries were received, but the judges chose Poe's " MS. Found in a Bottle" for its originality. In addition to the $50 prize, the story was published in the October 19 issue of the ''Visiter''. The contest, however, had some controversy. The winner of the poetry portion of the contest, "Henry Wilton," was revealed to actually be John Hewitt, the editor of the ''Visiter''. Poe claimed Hewitt had won by "underhanded means."Silverman, Kenneth. ''Edgar A. Poe: Mournful and Never-ending Remembrance''. Harper Perennial, 1991. pp. 93

Notes

* Alternately named the ''Saturday Morning Visiter'' (1832–33), ''Baltimore Saturday Visiter'' (1833–34), ''Baltimore Visiter'' (1834–40), ''Saturday Morning Visiter'' (1840–41), and ''Saturday Morning Visitor'' (1841–47).

References

General

Entry for ''Baltimore Saturday Visiter''
Guide to Maryland Newspapers. Maryland State Archives. Jan. 15, 2007
Entry for ''Baltimore Saturday Visitor''
Guide to Maryland Newspapers. Maryland State Archives. Jan. 15, 2007
Entry for ''Baltimore Visiter''
Guide to Maryland Newspapers. Maryland State Archives. Jan. 15, 2007
Entry for ''Saturday Morning Visiter''
Guide to Maryland Newspapers. Maryland State Archives. Jan. 15, 2007. * *Hall, Clayton Colman.
Baltimore: Its History and Its People
' vol. 1. Lewis Historical Publishing Co. Digitized Sept. 11, 2006. p. 712, Retrieved Jan. 28, 2007 Defunct literary magazines published in the United States Edgar Allan Poe Magazines established in 1832 Magazines disestablished in 1847 Magazines published in Baltimore Poetry magazines published in the United States Weekly magazines published in the United States {{fiction-mag-stub