Poe's 'The Gold-Bug' begins serialization (1843)

Edgar Allan Poe's short story 'The Gold-Bug' began serialization in the Dollar Newspaper in Philadelphia in June 1843. Poe submitted the work to a contest sponsored by the Philadelphia Dollar Newspaper, winning the grand prize. The story was published in installments starting June 21, 1843, and later reprints in United States newspapers made it Poe's most widely read short story during his lifetime.

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Background and detail

Background. Poe wrote 'The Gold-Bug' in Philadelphia, where he resided from 1838 to 1844. He originally sold the story to George Rex Graham for Graham's Magazine but requested its return upon learning of a writing contest sponsored by the Philadelphia Dollar Newspaper. This contest provided the opportunity for the story's serialization.

Contest and Publication. Poe submitted 'The Gold-Bug' to the Dollar Newspaper contest, winning the grand prize of $100. One account states the story was published in three installments beginning in June 1843; another specifies two installments on June 21 and June 28, 1843. The publication led to widespread circulation and recognition.

Reception and Legacy. The story became Poe's most widely read short story during his lifetime, with reports of 300,000 copies circulating by May 1844. A Graham's Magazine review in 1845 called it 'quite remarkable as an instance of intellectual acuteness and subtlety of reasoning'. The success inspired a French translation published in November 1845 by Alphonse Borghers in the Revue Britannique, the first literal translation of a Poe story into a foreign language.

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