Edgar Allan Poe

“Quoth the mustache: nevermore shall it be shaved.”

87STACH SCORE

✂ Chevron Historical Figure Era: 1840s Born 1809

Is this a Legendary Stach?

Stach Stats

Stash Power78

Ruggedness40

Curl Factor5

Legend Status95

Stats are for entertainment purposes. The mustache committee's decisions are final and occasionally arbitrary.

Style: Chevron
Peak Era: 1840s
Born: 1809
Fan Votes: 0 legendary · 0 meh

The Story

About Edgar Allan Poe

Edgar Allan Poe (1809–1849) was born in Boston, orphaned young, and raised by the Allan family of Richmond, Virginia. After a short stint at the University of Virginia and West Point, he made a precarious living as an editor, critic, and writer in Baltimore, Richmond, Philadelphia, and New York.

He essentially invented the modern detective story with "The Murders in the Rue Morgue" (1841), and his tales — "The Tell-Tale Heart," "The Fall of the House of Usher," "The Cask of Amontillado" — defined American Gothic horror. "The Raven" (1845) made him a household name, though not a wealthy one.

He died in Baltimore in 1849 at age 40 under circumstances that remain mysterious. His influence on horror, mystery, and science fiction is immeasurable.

The Verdict

Why the Stach Became Iconic

The brooding eyes, the high forehead, and the neat dark mustache in the famous 1848 daguerreotype are the face of Gothic literature. It is not a large mustache, but it is a perfectly gloomy one, and it is on more T-shirts, tote bags, and Halloween decorations than any other literary lip.

On the Record

Notable Moments

The Murders in the Rue Morgue (1841)
The Tell-Tale Heart (1843)
The Raven (1845)
The Cask of Amontillado (1846)
Annabel Lee (1849)

Fun Facts

The Baltimore Ravens NFL team is named after his poem.
For decades a mysterious "Poe Toaster" left roses and cognac at his grave each January 19.
He was expelled from West Point after deliberately neglecting his duties.