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All the United States Pennsylvania Philadelphia Grip the Raven
AO Edited

Grip the Raven

The taxidermied remains of Charles Dickens' pet raven, which helped inspire one of Edgar Allan Poe's most famous poems.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Dylan Thuras
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Grip the Raven   Free Library of Philadelphia
Grip the Raven   Free Library of Philadelphia
Grip is said to have inspired Poe’s breakout work, “The Raven”   Caroline Ciotola
A plaque detailing Grip’s life   Caroline Ciotola
Grip sits behind a glass case   Caroline Ciotola
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Grip the Knowing, Rare Books Dept, Free Library of Philadelphia   AFJAGExplores / Atlas Obscura User
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About

Perched on a log in the Rare Books department of the Free Library of Philadelphia stands a strange piece of history. Dead since 1841, but preserved with arsenic, and frozen inside a shadow box, this bird's legacy is longer than most people’s. The raven's name is Grip. Grip the Clever, Grip the Wicked, Grip the Knowing.

Once Charles Dickens' pet raven, upon its death Dickens had it professionally taxidermied and mounted. Grip even makes an appearance in Barnaby Rudge, one of Dickens' lesser-known stories.

The book was reviewed for Graham’s Magazine by its literary critic at the time, Edgar Allan Poe. Poe wrote that “[the raven's] croaking might have been prophetically heard in the course of the drama.” It wasn't long after this that Poe published his breakout work "The Raven." The coincidence didn't escape notice, and Poe was taunted with the refrain “Here comes Poe with his Raven, like Barnaby Rudge, / Three fifths of him genius, two fifths sheer fudge.”

Despite this, "The Raven" was a smashing success and Poe enjoyed performing readings at fancy salon parties. He would turn down all the lights and recite the poem with great drama. Everyone referred to him as “the Raven,” but it would only be four years after publishing “The Raven” and gaining worldwide fame that Poe would be found delirious on the streets of Baltimore, dying shortly thereafter.

Today, Grip the Raven, who inspired both Dickens and Poe, can still be seen, proud as ever, in the Free Library of Philadelphia Rare Books Department, along with a great collection of both Poe and Dickens originals and other rare books.

Related Tags

Taxidermy Edgar Allan Poe Charles Dickens Hunting And Taxidermy Heroes Of Taxidermy Birds Heroic Birds Of Taxidermy Animals

Community Contributors

Added By

Dylan

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raymondwinn1941, cait7911, AFJAGExplores, Michelle Cassidy

  • raymondwinn1941
  • cait7911
  • AFJAGExplores
  • Michelle Cassidy

Published

August 13, 2013

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  • https://www.phillymag.com/news/2011/10/31/poes-raven-stuffed-free-library/
  • https://libwww.freelibrary.org/blog/post/3554
Grip the Raven
Rare Book Department
1901 Vine St.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19103
United States
39.959085, -75.170333
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