Monthly Archives: January 2012

The Original Flagpole Sitter (Alvin Aloysius “Shipwreck” Kelly)

Posted on January 20, 2012 by atomictv

1929: `Shipwreck’ Kelly inspired 20 Baltimoreans to engage in what Cosmopolitan termed `competitive imbecility.’ By Frederick N. Rasmussen, (The Baltimore Sun,11/20/1999) It was perhaps the last giddy excess of the Jazz Age when, during the summer of 1929, Baltimore for … Continue reading →

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Was David Franks the Poe Toaster? Mystery his last performance piece, perhaps

Posted on January 20, 2012 by atomictv

By Jason Policastro (Baltimore Brew, 1/20/2010) Artist and poet David Franks was found dead January 14 (2010). The famed “Poe Toaster” failed to show up on January 19 (2010). Coincidence, or the final flourish of a dedicated prankster? The article … Continue reading →

Posted in Baltimorons, Edgar Allan Poe, Obituaries, Pranks, Urban Legends | Tagged | 1 Comment

Poe fans call an end to ‘Toaster’ tradition

Posted on January 19, 2012 by atomictv

By Sarah Brumfield (Associated Press, 1/19/2011) BALTIMORE (AP) — Edgar Allan Poe fans waited long past a midnight dreary, but it appears annual visits to the writer’s grave in Baltimore by a mysterious figure called the “Poe Toaster” shall occur … Continue reading →

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A Bar with a View

Posted on January 19, 2012 by almosthipguy

Unflappable Esther Martin Has Run the Club Charles Since 1951. Who Better to Tell of Her Block’s Boom, Bust, and Possible Rebirth? By Brennen Jensen (Baltimore City Paper, 2/16/2000) “There is nothing which has yet been contrived by man by … Continue reading →

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