“History made them famous.

Ken Burns makes them real.”

Almost every single day, essays, plays, songs, chatter on forums, cartoons, YouTube submissions, artwork, etc. continue to portray Lizzie Borden as she has been for over a century.  But now exists true facts that changes the entire Lizzie landscape.  It’s out there now.  It’s accessible and it screams to be heard on a massive scale,  It just needs to be read.  But so many people don’t really read.  They like short sound bites or FILM.  Lizzie deserves to be heard and seen in a new light, and a bloody good documentary would be just the thing to do it.

Last October, when I was in Kona, Hawaii and reading Parallel Lives – A Social History of Lizzie Borden and Her Fall River, I was contacted by Susanna Steisel, who works for Ken Burns at Florentine Films, Mr. Burns’ production company.  She explained Mr. Burns was working “on a triple biography documentary of Theodore, Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt.“   She further explained she had been reading my blog posts on Louis McHenry Howe (secretary and special advisor to FDR) and wanted some additional information.  After some exchanges, I used the opportunity to explain the link  between Louis Howe and Lizzie Borden.  Naturally, I told her about the Fall River Historical Society’s magnificent book.  I went so far as to say he should seriously consider a documentary on Lizzie Borden based on the information in Parallel Lives, specifically as to it’s Big Reveal of a “different Lizzie” that was heretofore never known.

Now, for those who don’t know, Ken Burns (check him out on Facebook) is an award-winning preeminent documentarian; prolific and without peer, his body of work can be seen from the list of his films as shown HERE.

It would be spectacular to have a Ken Burns multi-part documentary that would reveal the character and sensitivities of Lizzie Borden as revealed in Parallel Lives. All of Burns documentaries are of excellent quality and content, and are viewed by millions all over the world.  It would be groundbreaking for Ken Burns himself because he would be the very first to put on film new information about this iconic figure in America’s most compelling and mystifying unsolved murder case.   Using the information in Parallel Lives, such a documentary would deconstruct long held urban legends of the case.  It would sear into the minds of the viewing audience a Lizzie Borden far different from the one dimensional persona of which she has long been illustrated and portrayed – namely, a maniacal sociopath wielding a bloody axe just used for “forty whacks.”   Undoubtedly, Mr. Burns would be credited as “the man whose film irrevocably altered the beliefs and perceptions of Lizzie Borden the world over.  The man whose revelations put to film gave the world a three dimensional, heart and soul Lizzie Borden.”

Can you envision a multi-part sepia tone documentary that uses Fall River society as the Civil War backdrop with Lizzie Borden as the protagonist Scarlett?  I’m talkin’ epic here.  Well, I can envision it.  I can -  if Ken Burns produces it.

So if you are on Facebook, post a comment encouraging – encouraging, hell – BEGGING Ken Burns to produce a documentary on Lizzie Borden based on the content of Parallel Lives.   The FRHS tells me they sent him a copy of the book – let’s hope he reads it.    Meanwhile, post on Facebook or write his production company.

My grandson: Prometheus Dimitri Musselman (yes, you read that right).

He was born December 16, 2010

I’m working on putting together “bundled” packages of Lizzie and Fall River collectibles – all at rock bottom prices.  So stay tuned.  Meanwhile check out some stuff on my Facebook page.

CLICK HERE

I spotted the above framed photo in a second hand store in Seattle two weeks ago.  I thought the little boy was so damn cute.  When I went to pay for it I was told it was Billy Oltman who won a Howdy Doody look-alike contest in the l950′s.  A subsequent internet search resulted in little more information about darling little Billy.  I guess it was his 15 minutes.

contests_howdy.htm

The connection to Lizzie:  None, other than the fact I took the photo of the photo of him on the same shelf as my Parallel Lives books.  But I bet this blog post title got you real curious, huh?  LOL.

Filed under: Collectibles, Just for Laughs, TV, Theatre & Film Tagged: Billy Oltman, Howdy Doody, Lizzie Borden, Parallel Lives ]]> http://phayemuss.wordpress.com/2012/01/01/the-lizzie-borden-howdy-doody-connection/feed/ 1 phayemuss SANYO DIGITAL CAMERA HowdyDoody.jpg http://phayemuss.wordpress.com/2011/12/15/emma-borden-not-such-a-recluse/ http://phayemuss.wordpress.com/2011/12/15/emma-borden-not-such-a-recluse/#comments Thu, 15 Dec 2011 15:03:41 +0000 phayemuss http://phayemuss.wordpress.com/?p=5877 ]]> The following Recycled post will be of added new interest to those who purchased Parallel Lives.  Indeed, as we’ve learned from that book, Emma was no recluse.  Beginning on page 748, I believe, the writers go into depth of the Gardners from the Henry Augusta Gardner line.  Enjoy.

————————————————————————————

One of the urban legends in the Borden case is that Emma Borden became a recluse, rarely went out, and had no family after departing from her infamous sister, Lizzie.  Not true – at least not until the final few years of her life, when she was infirm and senile.

I’ve written before of the Gardners of Swansea who became a sort of surrogate family to Emma Borden when she departed forever from her sister, Lizzie in 1905.

On December 11, 1914, Henry Augustus Gardner (the patriarch of the family) and his wife, Caroline Cole Mason Gardner, celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary at their home “Riverby” in Touisset.  They had put together this little commemorative booklet (from my collection) for each of their guests which included Emma Borden as she attended and received such a booklet.

(Click on all images below for larger views)

x

Emma attended this event and her signature can be seen 4th down on the left side.  Little Hamilton Gardner, son of William, left his “mark” on the bottom of the right side.  At the top you see Doris Gardner’s name and her mark.  Having parallel lives, she and Hamilton ended up husband and wife.  More on her later.

William Wilson Gardner and son, Hamilton

(and was he a little cutie or what?)

When Hamilton’s father died, he was raised by his uncle, Orrin Gardner.  Emma was particularly fond of and close to Orrin.  And from evidence of her including him in an income trust and mentions elsewhere, she was also fond of Hamilton, who was a teenager when Emma died.

Emma, in fact, attended birthday parties, clam boils, weddings, funerals, and holidays with many of the people and their children shown in the oval picture below.  If you study the names and compare it to the guest signatures above, you’ll note most of them attended this event, as well as many of their offspring.

Father William Gardner (standing), Grandfather Henry Augustus Gardner, and Grandson Hamilton Gardner

“Riverby” about 1914

Here is a full account of the event as reported in the newspaper.

The quote of Henry Augustus speaking of how the area was when he first moved there to the “present” (i.e. 1914) is particularly interesting.

As stated above, this was not the only Gardner family event Emma attended.  My collection includes other documentation of Emma’s surrogate family and travels.  She spent a lot of time with Preston Gardner’s wife, Mary and their daughter, Maude, all of whom she favored in income trusts and her will.

Question: Is Hell exothermic (gives off heat) or endothermic (absorbs heat)? Most of the students wrote proofs of their beliefs using Boyle’s Law (gas cools when it expands and heats when it is compressed) or some variant. One student, however, wrote the following:

First, we need to know how the mass of Hell is changing in time. So we need to know the rate at which souls are moving into Hell and the rate at which they are leaving. I think that we can safely assume that once a soul gets to Hell, it will not leave. Therefore, no souls are leaving. As for how many souls are entering Hell, let’s look at the different Religions that exist in the world today. Most of these religions state that if you are not a member of their religion, you will go to Hell.

Since there is more than one of these religions and since people do not belong to more than one religion, we can project that all souls go to Hell. With birth and death rates as they are, we can expect the number of souls in Hell to increase exponentially. Now, we look at the rate of change of the volume in Hell because Boyle’s Law states that in order for the temperature and pressure in Hell to stay the same, the volume of Hell has to expand proportionately as souls are added.

This gives two possibilities:

1. If Hell is expanding at a slower rate than the rate at which souls enter Hell, then the temperature and pressure in Hell will increase until all Hell breaks loose.

2. If Hell is expanding at a rate faster than the increase of souls in Hell, then the temperature and pressure will drop until Hell freezes over.

So which is it?

If we accept the postulate given to me by Teresa during my Freshman year that, “it will be a cold day in Hell before I sleep with you”, and take into account the fact that I slept with her last night, then number 2 must be true, and thus I am sure that Hell is exothermic and has already frozen over. The corollary of this theory is that since Hell has frozen over, it follows that it is not accepting any more souls and is therefore, extinct…leaving only Heaven thereby proving the existence of a divine being which explains why, last night, Teresa kept shouting “Oh my God.”

(THIS STUDENT RECEIVED THE ONLY “A” IN THE CLASS.)

THIS BOOK HAS BEEN ADDED FOR FREE!!

ABSOLUTELY FREE WITH PURCHASE OF ONE OF THE TWO TITLES INDICATED BELOW.

Have you been wanting affordable copies of Len Rebello’s Lizzie Borden Past & Present? And have you been on the hunt for the Fall River Historical Society’s The Knowlton Papers? Well, you’ve landed in the right place.

Now – Are you looking for these?

Well, I’ve got several of each and the prices will be the best you can get. You can purchase  one (or both).  Simply email me at phaye@npgcable.com.

These are $250 each.  The Knowlton Papers are generally around $400 these days.  All have dust jackets.

Lizzie Borden Past & Present by Leonard Rebello are in vg condition with dust jackets.  Some of the Rebello’s are autographed by the author and come with mylar covers.  Again, only $250 each.

All 3 of these books are OOP and hard to find, especially at this price.

Be smart and buy one of each at $500.  Helleva deal – while it lasts.

And  remember – A Study in Conjecture ABSOLUTELY FREE!  If you’ve searched for this book or seen it on eBay you know it sells for several hundred dollars.  But I’m getting rid of much of my collection and throwing this in for FREE with a purchase of The Knowlton Papers or Rebello’s boo k indicated above.  So email me at phaye@npgcable.com.

First person to email and send in payment, and payment clears, gets the books!  

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)

A man is driving down the road and his car breaks down near a monastery.

He goes to the monastery, knocks on the door, and says, “My car broke down. Do you think I could stay the night?”

The Monks graciously accept him, feed him dinner, even fixes his car.

As the man tries to fall asleep, he hears a strange sound. A sound not like anything he’s ever heard before. The Sirens that nearly seduced Odysseus into crashing his ship comes to his mind. He doesn’t sleep that night. He tosses and turns trying to figure out what could possibly be making such a seductive sound.

The next morning, he asks the Monks what the sound was, but they say, “We can’t tell you. You’re not a Monk.”

Distraught, the man is forced to leave. Years later, after never being able to forget that sound, the man goes back to the monastery and pleads for the answer again.

The Monks reply, “We can’t tell you. You’re not a Monk.”

The man says, “If the only way I can find out what is making that beautiful sound is to become a Monk, then please, make me a Monk.”

The Monks reply, “You must travel the earth and tell us how many blades of grass there are and the exact number of grains of sand. When you find these answers, you will have become a Monk.”

The man sets about his task.. After years of searching he returns as a gray-haired old man and knocks on the door of the monastery.

A Monk answers. He is taken before a gathering of all the Monks.

“In my quest to find what makes that beautiful sound, I traveled the earth and have found what you asked for: By design, the world is in a state of perpetual change. Only God knows what you ask. All a man can know is himself, and only then if he is honest and reflective and willing to strip away self deception.”

The Monks reply, “Congratulations. You have become a Monk. We shall now show you the way to the mystery of the sacred sound.” The Monks lead the man to a wooden door, where the head monk says, “The sound is beyond that door.”

The Monks give him the key, and he opens the door. Behind the wooden door is another door made of stone. The man is given the key to the stone door and he opens it, only to find a door made of ruby. And so it went that he needed keys to doors of emerald, pearl and diamond.

Finally, they come to a door made of solid gold. The sound has become very clear and definite. The Monks say, “This is the last key to the last door.”

The man is apprehensive to no end. His life’s wish is behind that door! With trembling hands, he unlocks the door, turns the knob, and slowly pushes the door open. Falling to his knees, he is utterly amazed to discover the source of that haunting and seductive sound……

.

.

.

.

But I can’t tell you what it is because you’re not a Monk………………………………..

The holding sleeve has a leather/felt-like interior.

The sleeve has the staged photo of Lizzie in her senior years on the back porch of Maplecroft.

The woman that is pictured in the edition already opened (the one I read in Hawaii) is Anne Lindsey, sister of Mary Brigham.  What a Dame!

The marbleized end pages are taken from a book in Lizzie’s library

Note the edged gold “gilt” on the pages.

The “Presentation” page.  Click for larger image.

Yep.  She’s a beaut all right. 

Filed under: Books - Good & Not So Good, Collectibles, Fall River Historical Society Tagged: Abby Borden, Alice Russell, Andrew Borden, Central Congregational Church, dennis binette, Emma Borden, Fall River Historical Society, Hamilton Gardner, Helen Leighton, Henry Augustus Gardner, Hosea Knowlton, John Morse, Lizzie Borden, Lizzie Borden Bed & Breakfast, Lizzie Borden collectibles, Louis McHenry Howe, michael martins, Nance O'Neil, Oak Grove Cemetery, Parallel Lives, Parallel Lives-A Social History of Lizzie Borden and Her Fall River, Swansea, unsolved classic crimes, unsolved crime ]]> http://phayemuss.wordpress.com/2011/11/27/the-benefactors-edition-of-parallel-lives-a-social-history-of-lizzie-a-borden-and-her-fall-river/feed/ 1 phayemuss SANYO DIGITAL CAMERA SANYO DIGITAL CAMERA Sany2680 SANYO DIGITAL CAMERA Sany2675 Sany2677 Sany2678 Sany2684 Sany2670 http://phayemuss.wordpress.com/2011/11/18/book-review-parallel-lives-a-social-history-of-lizzie-a-borden-and-her-fall-river/ http://phayemuss.wordpress.com/2011/11/18/book-review-parallel-lives-a-social-history-of-lizzie-a-borden-and-her-fall-river/#comments Fri, 18 Nov 2011 10:17:28 +0000 phayemuss http://phayemuss.wordpress.com/?p=7898 ]]> 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.