There’s No One Like You, Lizzie Borden – and Your House is Still Standing

I was in the process of deleting some old “Lizzie Borden Files” folders on a thumbnail drive to make room for photos of my grandson when I discovered these Animoto videos I had made several years ago.

http://animoto.com/play/BCHckOsCK5kRH7ZDIFAFTQ

http://animoto.com/play/0KUvqV71nYJHhnCwbj1Srg

A Man and His Dog – Which one is “loyal”? From the Lizzie Borden Forum

 

The post here from Ellen Smith (i.e. Angel), in reply to Michael Brimbaugh (mbhenty) is so insightful and very clever.  LOL!

Re: There was in the barn a secret that must be covered

by mbhenty » Mon May 20, 2013 1:25 am

Of course, when I go on a crime spree I don’t use a flashlight. I take my Dog.

Top

 

Re: There was in the barn a secret that must be covered

by Angel » Mon May 20, 2013 10:49 am

WHAT? Should Onslow know that you’re seeing another dog?

 

Angel

 

 

 

 

Teapot given to Historical Society offers piece of Lizzie Borden story

Gertrude May Russell (above) received the teapot shown below as a gift from her friend Lizzie Borden.  The rare piece is now on display at the

Above:  Gertrude May Russell and the teapot her grand-daughter donated to the Fall River Historical Society.

From the Fall River Herald News comes this article by Deborah Allard:

“Borden had given ceramic teapot to hired companion about 100 years ago”

 

Herald News Photo | Jack Foley

“This photo courtesy of the Fall River Historical Society shows Lizzie Borden at Maplecroft, her French Street mansion, a few years after she employed Gertrude May Russell as a paid companion to accompany her on travels.”

 

“A cunning little ceramic teapot for one with a cobalt blue design was recently donated to the Fall River Historical Society.The tiny teapot came to curator Michael Martins with a big story.It was given by Lizzie Borden to her hired companion, Gertrude May Russell, as a present about 100 years ago.“It was hand-turned, hand-painted,” Martins said. He opened the lid and revealed a ceramic infuser, still intact. “It’s a sweet little teapot.”Martins said some research is still necessary to determine the teapot’s country of origin. It is completely unmarked. He said his first thought was that it might be from Asia, but he said it has a “decidedly European shape.”The teapot was donated to the society by Russell’s granddaughter, who is a member of the society, lives in Maine and wants to remain anonymous.Martins said the teapot came with a “good paper trail,” unlike some items that can be found online with no documentation.He said such donations are “few and far between.” But the society has recently collected more items than usual because of the contacts made by Martins and assistant curator Dennis Binnette while authoring “Parallel Lives: A Social History of Lizzie A. Borden and her Fall River.”“A great deal more material has come to the surface,” Martins said.Russell, known as “Trudy,” worked for Lizzie Borden from 1911 to 1913, according to Martins and an excerpt in “Parallel Lives” that features Russell.Russell was one of six children and was born in New Bedford. After her father died in 1894, her mother took the children to Boston and ran a boarding house on Beacon Hill.The family moved to Fall River in 1899 — just seven years after Lizzie Borden was tried and later acquitted of killing her father and stepmother with a hatchet in their 92 Second St. home.Russell went to the Lincoln School until 1905. She took a job at Kerr Thread Mills in 1909. Lizzie hired her as a companion in 1911.Russell moved into a third-floor bedroom at Maplecroft, Lizzie’s French Street mansion, in order to perform her duties. She was Lizzie’s traveling companion, and the two went to Boston and Washington and other destinations. They stayed in luxurious hotels, dined in fine restaurants and went to museums and the theater.Martins said it was likely that Lizzie purchased the teapot for Russell on one of these trips.While traveling once, they met a little girl named Virginia, and Lizzie told Russell that she should choose that name when she has a daughter someday.Russell, a young woman, in 1913 acted on impulse and left Lizzie’s employment to have more time for dancing and going out on the weekend.Lizzie was “perturbed” and found it improper that Russell would quit, and not to get married but to take work as a clerk in the R.A. McWhirr’s store downtown.Russell met a young man at one of her weekend dances and married him in 1914. When she had a daughter in 1923, she named the child Virginia.Russell wrote to Lizzie to tell her about her daughter. She received no response.Though there were obviously hurt feelings for both Russell and Lizzie, Russell told her granddaughter that she was a “silly young girl” when she quit her job with Lizzie, a job she said she enjoyed much. She said Lizzie had the “kindest blue eyes” she’d ever seen.“We feel that this piece really belongs here,” Martins said.The little blue and white teapot will be put on display at the Historical Society, 451 Rock St. The Historical Society offers tours, a museum shop and a large display of Borden memorabilia.The society is now open for the season. For hours and more information, visit lizzieborden.org.”

Ariel Castro and Lizzie Borden – Notorious Domiciles and Why People Can’t Stay Away

This NBC News article  on the house of Ariel Castro in Cleveland, Ohio, has five paragraphs on the Lizzie Borden Bed & Breakfast Museum in Fall River, MA.

It’s a long shot, but imagine if some dark-minded entrepreneur managed to acquire the property and turn it into a Bed & Breakfast.  Guests could chose between Attic, Second Floor or Basement accommodations in the “Ariel Castro House of Horrors”.   Canopy beds with chains would be extra.  Souvenier duct tape sold in the Garage Gift Shop.  Too morbid you say?  Think again.

Never underestimate the draw of pop culture “celebrity” when mixed with murder and mayhem.  It can become a stone, cold hit.

Fall River Cemeteries

Lizzie Borden is buried at Oak Grove Cemetery, and while it is the most known – and the most beautiful – there are other cemeteries with interesting histories in Fall River.

Here’s info on a wonderful picture book of several Fall River cemeteries. 

Jack Foley – Fall River Herald News

1. Notre Dame Cemetery

   1540 Stafford Rd
   Fall River

   (508) 673-1561

2. 2233 Robeson St Fall River (508) 679-2535

   St Patrick’s Cemetery
3. Amity St Fall River (508) 679-2535

   St Mary’s Cemetery
4. 462 N Main St Fall River (617) 244-6509

   Temple Beth El Cemetery
5. 440 Newhall St Fall River (617) 244-6509

   Agudas Achim Cemetery

   MEANWHILE…..

   The Fall River Historical Society is having a big sale on all their items.  Check it out!

The Kind of Party Lizzie Borden Missed Out on in Her Youth

NOTE:  THIS LETTER WILL APPEAR IN THE FALL RIVER HISTORICAL SOCIETY’S BOOK, PARALLEL LIVES):

When Lizzie Borden was in her teens and early 20′s she did attend parties with her contemporaries. She may have attended a party not unlike the one described in the handwritten letter below by Florence Borden, daughter of Spencer Borden. Flushed with the excitement of the evening’s events, the 15 year old Florence wrote “November 30, 1896″ at the top of the letter, but the postmark shows when it was mailed the next day, “December 1, 1895″.

Shortly after acquiring this letter for my collection, I took it with me on my next visit to Fall River and left a photocopy for Fall River Historical Society Curator Michael Martins to help me identify those named within the letter. He wrote a 9-page response and I include the first two pages here to save me time (and space) in providing background and identification particulars of a few mentioned:  (Click on all images for larger view)

Note:  Parker Hooper (born 1877) was the son of  William S. and Isabella Hooper who resided on French Street, three houses east from Lizzie.

Bertha Borden (born 1882) was the 15 year old daughter of Jerome Cook Borden & Emma Borden.  Jerome was Lizzie’s cousin who supported her during her Trial.

Young Florence is clearly thrilled with the costumes and those attending.  Her letter reflects an almost giddiness in her descriptions.  She lived in one of the two grandest homes in Fall River:  Interlachen

……and she spent that night with Marion Osborne at the other grand house:   the Carr-Osborne House

One generation behind Lizzie, these young ladies and gentlemen were the sons and daughters of Fall River’s elite society on “The Hill”.  And while they were only around 8-12 years old when the Borden murder case exploded upon the Fall River scene, they would know of Lizzie all their lives.   (Most would live long enough to have read Edmund Pearson, Edward Radin and even a fellow B.M.C. Durfee High School graduate, Victoria Lincoln.)

It would be less than two years after this party that Lizzie would be trumpeted again on the front pages:   the Tilden-Thurber shoplifting incident.   An oh, how these fine, cultured young people must have gossiped about that at other parties.

Note:  Florence doesn’t tell us if any of the ladies came dressed as Lizzie Borden with a hatchet sewed onto their skirt.  That would have been shockingly inappropriate.  Never would have happened.  But today?  Hell yes.

“Auntie Borden” in Movie “Sleuth”

Lizzie Borden is occasionally mentioned in a film or TV show but seldom is she referred to by the name many of the children of her friends called her long after the infamous trial of 1893.  Those children called her “Auntie Borden”, so we have learned from the magnificient book, Parallel Lives – A Social History of Lizzie A. Borden and Her Fall River.  Indeed, only those who have read this book learn of that fact as it was revealed for the very first time when the book was published in November of 2011.  Imagen my complete surprise when I heard it mentioned while watching the 1972 movie “Sleuth”.

“Auntie Borden” in her later years.

About 35 minutes into the film, Lawrence Olivier (as playwrite Andrew Wyke)  is attempting to find a costume for Michael Caine  (Milo Tindle) to pretend to be a burglar in their plot to have Michael Caine’s character steal a cache of jewels.  Olivier steps on a floor button and up pops a female skeleton to which Olivier says:  “Oh, there you are Auntie Borden”.   I cracked up and immediately Googled the playwrite.

Anthony Shaffer  was born just one year before Lizzie Borden died (1926), but it is likely as a young adult he heard of the Borden case and when he came to write Sleuth included the subtle reference to one of America’s most notorious unsolved crimes.    He was fond of true crime as we learn from his tribute web page, and he may have read the books on the case published up until his death.

Anyway, it made my ears perk up to a film I had seen 3 times previous but never caught the reference.  I shall look for it in subsequent “Sleuth” films.  Michael Caine, dear man, and a wonderful actor, enhanced his own career by playing both parts in different screen adaptations of the play “Sleuth”.

And that’s all, Auntie Borden.  

Lizzie Borden’s Favorite Dish: Tripe

It has been written in a number of books that Lizzie Borden’s “favorite” dish was tripe.  Tripe is nothing more than cow stomach.  It has the texture of calimari, i.e. octopus.   If you’ve ever had “menudo”, a Mexican dish very common in the Southwestern part of the United States, you’ve had tripe.

Here are more images of various tripe dishes.

Here is a listing of  vintage tripe recipes over the past 150 years.  I think Lizzie may have liked the broiled tripe, first becoming popular in 1896 or the pepper pot tripe from 1915.  I doubt, however, she dined on it accompanied with a little Chianti.

I always thought an occasional nice, big pot of tripe stew for overnight guests at the Lizzie Borden Bed &  Breakfast Museum would be a delightful surprise.

Emma Borden’s Death & Wake at Riverby

Emma Borden died in the early morning hours 9 days after her sister, Lizzie.  Members of her surrogate family saw to her funeral/burial wishes.  Her wake was held at Henry and Caroline Gardner’s home. Unlike Lizzie, family and friends gathered to pay their respects and the details of how things were handled was published in these papers.  (Click for larger views).

Seated left is Henry Augustus Gardner and his son Orrin to the right.  In the back is Hamilton Gardner (raised by Orrin since he was about 10 years old) and his best friend “Buck”.  These 3 Gardners, and many more, were at her Wake.

Where we read that Emma had made her wishes known to “Mrs. Gardner”, that would be Caroline Cole Mason Gardner who died in 1918, just seven years after celebrating her 50th Wedding Anniversary with Henry, an event which Emma attended.  (Henry would go on to live until 1931).  It was Caroline’s sister, Susan Francis Mason who had married Sarah Morse Borden’s brother, William Bradford Morse (they moved to Minnesota and lived all their lives there).  That marriage began the bloodline connection to Lizzie between the Morses and the Gardners and the Bordens (still with me here?).

In the article below it states Emma’s wishes were to be buried by her father and stepmother.  She is, in fact, buried right along side her sister which can  be seen in the image of the family plot at the end of this post.   It’s somewhat curious that Emma did not specify “beside my mother”.  Emma had been informed of Lizzie’s death by Orrin Gardner but due to her weakened condition did not attend her burial.  Unless the sisters spoke of the exact placements of their own future graves prior to Emma’s 1905 departure from Lizzie, Emma would not know of this layout.   (Note:  Lizzie, in her funeral instructions, requested to be buried at her father’s feet).

In this next article we note that Jerome C. Borden and his family attended the wake.  Jerome, of course, was the son of Cook Borden who was Andrew’s uncle.  Andrew’s father, Abraham, and Cook were brothers.  Jerome, Andrew’s nephew, had several daughters several years younger than the previously departed Lizbeth of Maplecroft.  Two of those daughters were close cousins withGrace Hartley Howe, Jerome’s sister’s daughter and thereby his niece.  (No mention if Grace was present at the wake though I doubt it as her husband,Louis McHenry Howe was absorbed in pursuits to get Franklin Delano Roosevelt elected President).  (I wonder if Jerome thought maybe Emma might have left him some money or property since Lizzie left plenty to his niece Grace as shown in her will which had been printed in the papers just that week).   But she didn’t leave anything to Jerome who had been a staunch supporter of Lizzie during the Trial.  She left plenty for the Gardners, though whereas Lizzie left them nothing.

 

The State of New Hampshire’s Record of Death for the year ended December 31, 1927, has a July 1, 1927 entry recording her death on June 10, 1927 and internment on June 13th at Oak Grove Cemetery.  The cause of death is “chronic nephritis” and “duration 2 years”.  Indicated as the cause is “senility” and “unknown duration”.  No mention of any fall.  Note that under “Occupation” is written “Retired”.   Indeed.

George H. Towle was the physician who pronounced her dead and reported the death.

Then in 1992, comes this record of death from the State of Massachussetts showing the causing of death as both Chronic Nephritis and senility with no indication of the duration of either.

Below:  Riverby (pronounced River”bye”) as it looked in the late 1920′s.

Then:                                                                                  Now:

This property was originally in Caroline’s family but she and Henry lived there most of their lives operating it as a successful farm.  It passed on to Orrin then to Hamilton Gardner and was sold and subdivided in the 1950′s.  Few of the extra out-buildings remain.  The current owner of Riverby has partitioned off several rooms, making them into apartments although the neighborhood is not zoned for that.  An artist lives on the first floor, a couple on the second and a musician on the 3rd floor attic rooms.

Lizzie is foot-to-foot with her father; Emma is foot to foot with her mother, Sarah.  Abby is next to Andrew on the outside.  The overall layout has a certain symmetry that seems almost poetic.

Andrew Borden and the Missing Prince Albert

(Recycled from March 2008)

James E. Windward, “funeral director to the stars” or at least to all the best Fall River families (translation: Bordens, Braytons, Durfees, Chaces, etc.) during Lizzie’s time, was at the Borden house with his assistant around 4:00 pm on August 4, 1892. As Doctor Dolan testified, it was Undertaker Winward who removed the money from Andrew’s clothing and gave it over to him.

Winward had to wait until the in-situ crime scene photographs were taken and preliminary autopsies were concluded before he could claim possession of the bodies for preparation for Saturday’s funeral services. Could it be that Lizzie told him directly or had it conveyed to him as a discreet request by another (Alice? Uncle John?) that she wished her father to be “laid out” in his Prince Albert coat because it was such a signature garment to all those that knew him? The same Prince Albert coat that was photographed crumbled up under his head on the sofa. The same Prince Albert coat that his usual custom was to hang on a hook when switching to his more comfortable coat in which he wore in death? The same Prince Albert coat that is not on the list of clothing buried nor presented at Trial. The same Prince Albert coat that magically disappears like socks in the dryer. The same Prince Albert coat that District Attorney Knowlton alluded to as a possible shield against the assailant’s own clothing during his Trial summation? The same coat that had it been laid out and studied would have had telling blood splatters and not just a large stain from the seeping wounds of the ten hatchet blows to his head.

Let us assume that the Prince Albert coat was indeed removed from the premises by Undertaker Winward at Lizzie’s request. Let us further assume it was subsequently cleaned, pressed and put back upon the corpse of Andrew Borden. It would seem such an appropriate thing to do that his open coffin next to Abby’s in the Sitting Room would warrant narry a comment pertaining to evidence. “How peaceful he looks with his head on the side, and isn’t it natural that he should be wearing that oh so familiar coat?”, one might have commented to another.

Fast Forward – Oak Grove Cemetery:

The mortal remains of Andrew Jackson Borden lay crushed from a collapsed coffin, wood fragments embedded in the decomposed and tattered fabric of a certain Prince Albert coat. A high school ring dangles from his skeletal finger and his skeletal foot stretches out to just inches above Lizzie’s head. Each day at the stroke of 11:00 am, he shoves his foot against her head and in a muffled but strident voice only the dead can hear he speaks out to her: “Bad girl, Lizzie. Bad, bad, girl.” Thus, every day throughout eternity she hears those words at the stroke of Eleven – Lizzie’s own hellish, eternal doom.

I’d be willing to bet if Andrew’s grave were dug up, the collapsed coffin opened, there we would find the mortal remains of Andrew Borden. His head would be detached and displaced but he’d be dressed in that Prince Albert coat.

Clever girl, Lizzie. Clever, clever girl.

Anna & Laura Tirocchi – Dressmakers to the Elite

(Recycled post)

The Prentice Mansion at 514 Broadway, Providence, site of the shop operated by sisters Anna and Laura Tirocchi from 1915 to 1947.

Anna Tirocchi

Anna & Laura Tirocchi were a famed and successful dressmaking sister team I  happened to come across because of my interest in a British t.v. series called The House of Elliot (apparently, partly based on the Tirocchis).

What a complete surprise it was to find her business was patronized by some  Braytons,  Mrs. Dwight Waring (daughter of  Lizzie’s defense attorney, Andrew Jennings) et.al. of Fall River.  And from Providence, we have Preston Gardner’s wife Mary, and daughter, Maude, all of whom received considerable money and jewelry from Emma’s Will.

Another notable from Providence is Mrs. William G. Thurber, whose husband was Vice President of  Tilden-Thurber, the store where Lizzie shoplifted two paintings on porcelain only 4 years after her acquittal.  An incident in which Preston Gardner came to the rescue and an action for which Emma Borden was eternally grateful.

Anyway, back to the Tirocchi sisters. They operated a shop in Providence from 1911 to the mid 1930′s.  The stock market crash was the beginning of   it’s demise.  Anna said that 1927 was their “best year ever.”

If you’ve already read the basic background linked above, consider their elite client list that reads like a Who’s Who of  Fall River’s and Providence’s upper crust.

When you click on Client list you can then click on a woman’s name.  You then find out who her husband was.  Then you can click on “Transactions” for what she purchased (keep in mind that a dress costing $200 had the equivalent purchasing power of nearly $2,400 in today’s money), and “Correspondence” for letters she wrote and/or received.

Tirocchi’s  clientele is addressed   HERE. (then click “The Clients”)

One notable is Jessie Brayton – John Summerfield Brayton, Sr.

It was Jessie’s husband who was the recipient of  the well known letter written on August 31, 1900 by Lizzie Borden about his  noisy bird that crowed so loudly and made her nervous.  My, my.  Talk about dress threads that bind!

Her grandson was extremely accomplished, and it was his father, John Summerfield Brayton III, who was the discoverer  of  that above mentioned letter.

Not only did Anna keep precise records of sales and who these women were married to but she had all their measurements – not surprising for a dressmaker but enlightening to Borden researchers. Here’s the one for Mrs. Elizabeth Brayton.

This entire website is a marvel to explore and a person can spend a good two hours finding out who these women were.  I was getting visions of that film “The Women” directed by George Cukor – the early scenes of the ladies in the dressing rooms ….  but I digress.

Anna Tirocchi in the Butler Exchange workroom, making the final adjustments to a dress; ca. 1914.

The contents of the Tirocchi dress shop at 514 Broadway was offered to the Rhode Island School of Design Museum by sister Laura’s son, Dr. Louis Cella, Jr.   No wonder the staff, inventorying for over year,  was thrilled with what they found!!  Indeed, so was I.

And a big THANK YOU,  DR. CELLA!!!

P.S.  If Lizzie had an account there, she certainly didn’t  use her real name.

Fund-raising Attempt for New Lizzie Borden “Provoked” Indy Film

Here’s another Kickstarter fund-raiser associated with Lizzie Borden.  This time it’s a paranormal film with a little twist.   It’s titled  PROVOKED.   Clearly, $3,500 is a paltry amount to raise for any Independent film, but I take note at the almost throw-away line of “mostly for craft services”.

Personally, I think they should go in a different direction:  a comedy.   Barring that, they should seriously consider hiring Tim Weisberg,  Matt Moniz, and Matt Costa of Spooky Southcoast.   These gentlemen are long-standing, credible paranormal investigators whose consulting services would lend a certain cache to the production that is seemingly lacking.

I’m reminded of another Kickstarter fund-raiser – you’ll recall here where a $5,000 donation got you “dinner with the editor”.    <nyack, nyack>

Lizzie Borden Letters on eBay asking $8,250!

Well, this is a hoot. Two letters written by Lizzie Borden up for bid on eBay at $8,250. One would do better to purchase “Parallel Lives – A Social History of Lizzie A. Borden and Her Fall River” by Michael Martins and Dennis Binette, curators of the Fall River Historical Society. Their massive work (over 1,000 pages) includes these letters. Not only that but the book has the full story about the “Kenney” house and Mr. & Mrs. Kenney “.  The house was just east house (which was just east of her home “Maplecroft”, the subject of one letter, AND a picture of the dog which is the subject of the second letter. And here’s the best part – Parallel Lives can be purchased for $79.00 directly from the Fall River Historical Society. Or, if you have an eBay account, you can up the bid to $8,500 dollars. LOL

 

Remembering Ed Thibault

Remembering Ed Thibault

It was nice to see Ed given more acknowledgment. I had known him since 1992 when we presented papers at the Lizzie Borden “100 Years of Fascination” Centennial in Fall River. I met his wife, Eleanor, that year as well. She is such a sweet woman. Always so professional on the tours. She’s been featured in many documentaries on the case. A firm believer in spirits at the Lizzie Borden Bed & Breakfast, she’s been featured in many documentaries on the case and had captivated thousands on her tours with her personal experiences.

Lizzie Borden B&B mourns loss of longtime fixture Edward Thibault

Here’s the posting I made when he passed away last month.

http://phayemuss.wordpress.com/2012/12/19/ed-thibault-has-passed-away/

For Those Still Goo-Goo, Gaa-Gaa Over Lizzie Borden

If you’re still one who salivates over anything that might have been owned by, touched by, seen by, walked passed by, yaddayaddayadda on Lizzie Borden, check this out:

http://pinterest.com/dawnone/lizzy-borden/

Scroll thru and take particular note of the “Lizzie Borden as a baby”, and “Lizzie Borden’s compact”, complete with her L.A. B. initials.

I swear, this feces never stops.    I would be curious, however, to know how much the “baby lizzie” framed image went for.

BTW, I have a pansy broach that belonged to Lizzie, inscribed “Daphne”.

That’s an inside joke if you’ve read Parallel Lives. 

Ed Thibault Has Passed Away

So many times we hear from those saying good things about the dead…..

You may know him as “Andrew Borden” in several Lizzie Borden features and documentaries.  You may know him as being your tour guide at the Lizzie Borden Bed and Breakfast.   You may know him as a featured speaker on the case.  Those of us who knew him, bid a sad farewell.

There was so much more about Ed than just his interest in Lizzie Borden, but those who came to know him because of Lizzie will always remember him as an expert on the case and an impressive “Andrew Borden”. He was one of those who searched thru all the secret places and crevices of “92 Second Street” during its renovation into a B&B and helped make its opening a reality; a great contributor to Leonard Rebello’s book; a warm and gentle soul. He will be missed.

http://www.hathawayfunerals.com/obits/obituaries.php/obitID/213671/obit/Edward–R-Thibault-Jr\

I’m so glad I paid public tribute to Ed while he was still living and able to read the following post  originally written August 19, 2007.  I will cherish the heartfelt “thank you” letter he wrote me soon afterwards.

http://phayemuss.wordpress.com/2007/08/19/tribute-to-ed-thibault-andrew-borden/

This isn’t about Lizzie Borden but it’s more important.

 

 

Newton, CT School Shooting, Aspergers Syndrome, and Social Networking

Christmas Greetings from Andrew & Lizzie Borden

Lizzie, Emma, Andrew and William

And let us not forget this JibJab goodie from a couple years ago:

It’s A Wonderful Life With the Bordens

(click text above to begin video)

Book Review: Parallel Lives – A Social History of Lizzie A. Borden and Her Fall River

(Recycled post. It’s been a year. Time to remind you how to spend your Christmas $$).

You can order Parallel Lives  (and my own Historic Timeline book) at this sight   Click HERE

Items in the book and on display at the FRHS:
Click HERE

(Unfortunately, the scrapbook, so carefully put together by Lizzie after her 1890 Grand Tour is not on display and remains in a private collection.  *That’s* what I would like to see more of!)

Exquisitely produced, brilliantly structured, thrilling and groundbreaking in its content, Parallel Lives – A Social History of Lizzie A. Borden and Her Fall River is a seven pound, 1,179 page, ten-years- in-the-making epic that had it been written as a historical novel it would be right up there with Roots, The Secret Magdelene, and Gone With The Wind.   It is a book of transformation and revelation; transforming in the way it compels readers to alter their mental landscape when thinking of Lizzie Borden.  It is filled with stunning revelations that meticulously dissect rumors and legend long thought to be truth.  Lizzie Borden has been encapsulated in pop culture based on an inaccurate quatrain characterizing her as a one dimensional psychopath wielding a bloody axe, Parallel Lives has irrevocably transformed and revealed Lizzie Borden to be a three dimensional flesh and blood human being with heart, spirit and soul.  Indisputably, this the new “go to” book which researches and scholars studying the history of Fall River during its rise and decline, as well as the woman Lizzie Borden who lived through that age: 1860-1927, will discover it impossible to find anything more definitive or comprehensive, more exciting or enlightening.

The book is a treasure trove of new information about Lizzie taken from the journals, letters, cards, photographs, artifacts and remembrances of those that knew her personally, much of which was coveted by their owners who were resolved in their belief that Lizzie could not have committed those crimes.  Their beliefs were passed down to third and fourth generation descendents who continued to keep their possessions or memories conveyed private and sequestered until trusted relationships were established between them and the authors.

Masterfully woven within the new information are expanded stories of known individuals and events (some prominent, some little or previously unknown) that had an impact on Fall River’s history and society.  The authors have beautifully crafted the world in which Lizzie Borden lived.  And while the crimes of August 4, 1892 are presented, allusions to or fresh insights on whether or not Lizzie was guilty are not presented.  In fact, the murders and who did them become almost irrelevant in the broader tapestry presented throughout the chapters with its more than 500 photographs and other images.   Who committed the crimes or the case itself, becomes an irrelevancy overshadowed by the depth and breadth of all that which deals with the people and stories within.

We learn so much of Mary Ella Sheen (Mrs. George S. Brigham) and her sister, Anne Eliza Sheen (Mrs. William Lindsey, Jr.), two sisters whose lives took very different trajectories.  Mary was Lizzie’s friend since girlhood and the future mother-in-law of Florence Cook Brigham, but Anne had been her friend as well for most of their lives.  Anne was a “Grand Dame” and lived the kind of life that Lizzie most probably would have wanted for herself.   We learn that not only was Helen Hartley Howe such a close and devoted second cousin to Lizzie, we discover that Helen’s mother had a friendship that also was life lasting with Lizzie.  The reveal of the true identity of ‘Todd Lunday” would have been anticlimactic had it not been for the intriguing story associated with it, or the story of Officer Phillip Harrington and police reporter Edwin Porter who penned the Fall River Tragedy and why Porter may have left Fall River so soon after its publication. Nor have we read anywhere the connection of reporter McHenry and City Marshall Hilliard.  I suspect there are many “reveals” that were derived from the so called “Hilliard Papers” which have been in the Society’s hands for 22 years.

Michael Martins and Dennis Binette, co-authors, outside the Fall River Historical Society holding Parallel Lives-photo by Jack Foley, Fall River Herald News

For decades, the curators of the FRHS have been meticulous in documenting the “drop in” visits or phone calls from people – many descendents of the principals – as to what they had to say and when.  These “notes to file”, so to speak, have been preserved in their respective file folders and filed with the relative topics.  These contain more of the “reveals”, some as surprising as finding out JR getting shot was only a dream, or Scarlett realizing she loved Rhett all along, or Edward glistening out of the cloud bank.  As stated, the revelations are thrilling and transforming.

The chapters are so beautifully written and the photographs so beautifully reproduced within the book that we can almost feel the silk and lace as they as we read their wonderfully detailed descriptions.  We can rub our finger across the image of a pocket watch and feel the grooved indentations, or one of Lizzie’s traveling suitcases and feel the contrast of the brass to the leather.  We can smell and see the wedding flowers and the sparkle of jewelry at the Assemblies and grand parties.  The meticulous effort in the use of adjectives is remarkable. It is fairly obvious the authors wanted to be as accurate and precise as possible when applying descriptors to people, places and things.

I strongly suspect much of what was revealed may have been with soft spoken caveats or perhaps some asserted caveats along the lines of:  “Well, you may use these journals (or photos, or letters, or cards, or remembrances) but I trust you will present Auntie Borden (or Lizzie) in a good light because she never could have done those murders.”  And “I would consider it a great injustice to finally make this information known if it were used to give a poor impression of this wonderful woman or lend any credibility to the horrible reputation she endured during and after her life.”  Mr. Martins and Mr. Binette have stated it was only when they explained the kind of book they were writing, and after trust was established, that the possessions and remembrances were revealed.

We learn certain elitist members of the seven “first” families did a fine job in two-facing Lizzie after the Trial; they “cut” her quite severely and most obviously spoke of her “guilt”– handing down their opinions to their children who maintained those opinions and passed them down to their children.  On the other hand, those that kept friendships and believed Lizzie was not and could not be guilty passed that info down to their children – or the children knew her first hand and formulated the same opinion; the difference being they did not speak openly about it.  They protected her privacy.  But between those that cut her and the relentless and continuous newspaper coverage, the damage had been done.

The authors were literary craftsmen in the way they told these stories, presenting the information from the journals or letters, and in detailing information about the people involved without trumpeting a new path but sufficient to give you pause.  The book is peppered with phrases such as: “Is it possible that…”, or “Although we can never know for certain, could it be that…”, or “Would it seem likely that…” and we pause on the page and hearing ourselves utter “hmmmm” and suddenly realize we are thinking things differently.

The End Notes are extraordinary and I found them thrilling to read.  When reading, one says: “Where did they get that from?” and we go to the End Notes which are flush with information.  Our eyes don’t just stay on the sight bite but naturally scroll downward until we know where most all the information for that chapter came from.  The End Notes tell us more about relationships and just who had what information and for how long.  The End Notes help us identify what came from FRHS “notes to file” as opposed to who held on to what for decades and allows us to identify from where the bulk of new information came.

Parallel Lives actually constitutes many books.  It is so rich and full it would constitute several Master’s Thesis, multiple biographies, and even separate books on the nefarious acts and scandals in the persons of Mr. Scully and Mr. Barnard, let alone a book on comparative lifestyles of The Hill people and The Mill people.

Parallel Lives is a monumental achievement and a body of work to make the entire Fall River Historical Society proud.  It is representative of that level of excellence consistent in all endeavors of Messrs. Martins and Binette.  It is truly a remarkable and unique work -  the likes of which we shall not see again.

Michael and Dennis took a pen

And wrote an epic with a satisfying end

For when The Book was finally done

Rumors died and reality won.

OJ Sheridan Tells Paranormal Investigator About The Day of the Murders

Really good job here by Oj Sheridan, tour guide at the Lizzie Borden Bed and Breakfast Museum. (Side note: The oldest child of Eliza Borden managed to escape her mother’s attempt to push her into the well and went on to live out a long life all in Fall River).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QrSqlTXvK5k

Lizzie Borden Investigation Part 1

http://www.youtube.com

Hunters of Ghosts, the HOGs crew get locked down to spend the night in the infamous Lizzie Borden House. We captured some amazing audio and visual