Elisabeth Ellicott Poe
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| Born | July 27, 1886  Philadelphia |
| Died | September 29, 1947 (aged 61) Washington, D.C. |
| Occupation | Artist |
Vylla Poe Wilson
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| Born | February 27, 1883 New Jersey |
| Died | October 2, 1969 (aged 86) Washington, D.C. |
| Occupation | Artist |
Elisabeth "Bessie" Ellicott Poe (July 27, 1886-September 29, 1947)[1][2][3] and Vylla Ellicott Poe Wilson (February 27, 1883-October 2, 1969)[4] were journalists in Washington, DC. They sometimes collaborated on a woman's column under the name the Poe Sisters.
They were the daughters of inventor George Poe, Jr., a cousin of the poet Edgar Allan Poe.[5] For most of their lives, they worked for mostly Washington DC newspapers, including the Washington Post, the Washington Times, the Washington Times-Herald, and King Features Syndicate, in a variety of editorial capacities, covering art, women's issues, and the White House.[3][4][6]
During World War I, the Poe sisters were organizers of the Women's Section of the Navy League and its training camp for women in Chevy Chase, Maryland.[7]
In 1933, Evalyn Walsh McLean, wife of Washington Post owner Edward Beale McLean, enlisted the sisters to briefly pawn the Hope Diamond on her behalf when she needed cash.[8]
Together, the Poe sisters published the books Edgar Allan Poe: A High Priest of the Beautiful and Half-Forgotten Romances of American History. In 1930, they started a magazine called The Stylus, named after the periodical Edgar Allan Poe was unable to create.[9] Both sisters were painters and exhibited their work locally. Elisabeth Poe exhibited more frequently and primarily painted watercolors.[3][10]
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