Lizzie Borden: Warps and Wefts

It’s been a very busy Lizzie Summer and Autumn with plays, lectures, re-enactments, house tours, cemetery tours, and much anticipation about the upcoming Parallel Lives.  Warps & Wefts will be on vacation until October 18th in Victorian Cape May- a place where Lizzie would feel right at home.  Victorian week is an annual Cape May attraction and is rated in the top 100 American events not to miss.  http://www.capemaymac.org/content/subpage_main.aspx?id=820

W&W will return on the 18th with photos of all the Victorian fun, fashions and amazing Painted Ladies!

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

‘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

Those who follow the dark side of Victoriana, murder, mystery and mayhem might consider attending some of the events marking Poe’s 200th birthday.  Although Mr. Poe’s actual birthday on January 19th has just passed, there will be many events year long.  Visit the link  to see what’s in store for 2009 – just imagine what Poe might have made of the Borden story! http://www.nevermore2009.com/

We’re back in 2009!  Hope your holidays were happy and filled with Good Things.  2009 promises to be a great year for Bordenites with several new Lizzie B bios, a re-enactment of the 1893 trial in New Bedford for the 150th anniversary of the Bristol County Courthouse, a few television specials about Lizzie and the case on the boards and in production, and more.  Lizzie Borden Live will be playing in the Providence-Fall River area in March and a few surprises are in store for the upcoming year. 

If you missed the big news last month, a new photo of Emma Borden was located by Hatchet editor, Stefani Koorey http://www.heraldnews.com/town_info/history/x1720687532/A-new-development-in-Borden-history  very exciting !

There are a few new things going on at 92 Second Street as well- stay tuned.  The house is open daily for tours but only open on weekends this month and next for overnight guests.  The mammoth courthouse across the street is building up full tilt and makes quite an impact on Second Street. 

A new blog link just added here, “Slip into Something Victorian” has posted a nice story on a visit in December to Second Street-  http://slipintosomethingvictorian.wordpress.com/2009/01/05/lizzie-borden-sensational-victorian-murder/  Enjoy!

Victorian Holiday House Tour
Save the date for 2008:
Saturday, Dec. 13, Weather Day Sunday, Dec. 14th

Tickets may be purchased at the New Boston Bakery.

(Below are scenes from the popular Victorian house tours of 2006 and 2007)

For fans of time travel, Somewhere in Time has captured the imagination of thousands world wide.  Based on the novel by Richard Matheson called Bid Time Return, the original setting for the novel was the Hotel Coronado in California in the year 1896.  Due to the encroachment of modern day life, the film version with screenplay by Matheson was filmed on Michigan’s Mackinac Island where vehicles are banned and horse and carriage is the mode of transportation.  Released in 1980, the film failed to find its audience but was soon taken up as a favorite by Romantics everywhere when the movie went to cable.  In 1991 a society of admirers of the film formed INSITE, The International Network of Somewhere in Time Enthusiasts and the society meets in October annually, in period costume, for a long weekend.  The soundtrack by John Barry has never been out of stock and is one of the most enduring and beloved soundtracks of all time. 

Maude Adams circa 1899

For more information on the film, the society and on Maude Adams, the real-life Victorian actress on whom the novel is based, do visit the INSITE link below.  Maude Adams was a top stage actress in the late 1890’s into the first decade of the twentieth century under the management of Charles Frohman, who drowned in the Lusitania disaster of 1915.  There is little doubt that Lizzie Borden would have seen Maude Adams numerous times on stage in New York or Boston, especially in her most famous roles as Lady Babbie in Barrie’s The Little Minister and Peter, in Peter Pan.   INSITE publishes a quarterly magazine and maintains an online giftshop, events calendar and regularly updated article website  at http://www.somewhereintime.tv/ and listen to Barry’s inspired theme.

Somewhere in time

 Most folks who study the Borden case will, at some point, run into mention of another famous Massachusetts lady who had a more final brush with the gallows in 1778, Bathsheba Spooner. Brent Abrahamson has made a visit to the site at Brookfield and posted about the visit at this link: http://massachusettsobserver.blogspot.com/2008/08/murder-most-foul-in-brookfield.html