Lizzie Borden: Warps and Wefts

These high quality, full-color calendars are spiral bound and printed on heavy cardstock

Our calendars feature photographic contributions by Mary Beth Rigby and William Moniz as well as historic images donated from private collections

Layout by Ann Keane

Additionally, the birth dates of notable historical figures are observed throughout

Limited quantities of our calendars are available for $15 and make a wonderful holiday gift

Shipping is an additional $1 per calendar.  Those in the Fall River area may arrange for pickup.  Please call or email to reserve your copy or to arrange for pickup

Payment may be mailed to:

The friends of oak grove cemetery

96 colfax street

Fall river, MA 02720

Ph: 508-642-9636

Sung by Vida Turner at Lizzie’s private wake, many seem to find meaning in Lizzie’s requested and favorite hymn. Rev. Cleveland from the Church of the Ascension on Rock St. gave the prayers to a select few employees.  Miss Turner received a check for her services and was told not to repeat where she had been.  This version is from a period hymnal and the text is the text Lizzie would have known.  Do you see any hidden significance? Try it at home on your piano.

‘Who, in the “Lily” under Belasco’s management has demonstrated her right to be considered the great actress the admirers of her earlier work prophesied. (from American Magazine  August, 1911)’

Nance is shown with a come-hither look all decked out in Titanic-era cartwheel hat with feathers.  At this point Lizzie Borden was a long-gone memory as Nance advanced with her stage and film career. Nance, always somewhat of a spendthrift, sold her large estate in Tyngsboro, MA (where Lizzie once visited) with 250 acres of it purchased by the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur in 1907.  It is now the site for Notre Dame Academy, a co-ed Catholic school. http://www.ndatyngsboro.org/page.cfm?p=13

Rick Geary has spent a good many years as illustrator and cartoonist, capturing on paper  some pretty grisly tales from the corridors of dark history.  The Borden case caught his fancy and was immortalized as a graphic book, some years ago.  It is a must-have for fans of the case and is available on Amazon for as little as five dollars. 

Mr. Geary also produced a charming paper cutout sheet of the house on Second Street, which was, for a time available for sale at #92. It is not now so readily available.  Once selling for $1.95, the cardstock cutout, which when colored and assembled is a strikingly good facsimile of the house, is now sought after by Bordenites.  If readers know where it might be purchased- send us a comment!

Visit Rick Geary’s website at http://www.rickgeary.com/

After the success of the 1992 conference at BCC, some of the organizers including Jules Rykebusch and Ken Souza wanted to repeat a smaller version of the gathering every year on the first weekend in August.  So the Lizzie Expos were conceived and sponsored by the Down Under Cafe.  The image above is from the 1994 Expo and details some of the events.  This was also the year the mannequin of Lizzie (which held a pear and was in the entry of the Down Under) was kidnapped.  A reward was offered and she returned mysteriously by the second day.  The Herald featured the tale on the front page.  She is shown below with Ed Thibault.

Carriage rides and city tours were part of the fun.  Here are some of the city guides in costume and in character as 1892 Fall Riverites on the way to Maplecroft.

The Sweet Nightingales sang songs of the 1890’s at the old Central Congregational Church.  This stage area in the photo below is now part of the Abbey Grille restaurant downstairs.  The song being performed here is You Can’t Chop Your Pappa Up in Massachusetts!  By 1996 #92 Second Street had opened, and the Expos were no more-but they were fun while they lasted!

The following poem (click on poem for full size) was written by Michael Wilkerson for the Barrister Production of The Country Lawyer.  A copy was at each place on the tables at the Quequechan Club for guests to take home as a souvenir back in 1993.