Victoriana
Old Fall River, nineteenth century customs and lifestyle, interiors, Painted Ladies and more
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Best Wishes for a Joyful Holiday
All good wishes for a peaceful, healthy and safe holiday with Loved Ones. Returning on December 29th with news and photographs!
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Remembering Guy Verhille
Guy Verhille awards: Outstanding Achievement in Costume Design : The Legend of Lizzie Borden (1975) Tied with Margaret Furse for Love Among the Ruins (1975).
On permanent loan, The Lizzie Borden House, Fall River Set design and costuming as well as casting, can make or break a film. For those who have seen the 1975 Legend of Lizzie Borden starring Bewitched’s beautiful Elizabeth Montgomery, getting the house and costumes just right were very important. The famous house had been photographed and blueprints of the layout have been well- known since the murders in 1892. Lizzie herself is frozen in time in those leg o’ mutton sleeves. The house owners received Lizzie’s famous acquittal dress from Paramount Film Studio, and it is currently on display in the room where Abby Borden met her violent end. It is a popular item for visitors spending the night at the house on Second Street. Miss Montgomery was a size 4 when she wore this dress, which is actually a gray nubby-textured wool blend with a capelet with accordian-pleated long lappets which hang down the front and tuck into a belt at the waist. The very full accordian-pleated wide sleeves give the impression of the popular leg o’ mutton sleeve which was growing ever-larger in 1892. The back of the cape is finished off with heavy metallic bead fringe. Sadly, guests at the house have purloined some of these fringes as souvenirs (see photo).
The late Guy Verhille, veteran costumer of many large screen and television productions won an Emmy, as did the set designer, in 1975 for his work in The Legend of Lizzie Borden. The hat to this ensemble was unfortunately thrown away. It featured a strong vertical embellishment as seen in the photo below, which was exactly correct for the era.
With budget constraints, this was the only copy of the dress made for the television movie, and how lucky that Mr. Verhille’s great design has survived. To see more of Mr. Verhille’s credits, visit the Internet Movie Data Base http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0894181/
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It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas
The wind whipped the flags along the route 195 overpass this morning as Fall River temperatures plunged. With lows expected tomorrow of 8- 14 degrees and snow on the way, guests at the Borden house hunkered down with extra blankets last night.
Decorating has begun in earnest at #92 in preparation for the open house on December 16th. Tickets are available for the five house, five historic property tour at New Boston Bakery on New Boston Road, which was also decorated today in fine style with a Victorian theme. The apple turnovers are worth the trip. Appreciative customers sat around the large tree in the window drinking just about anything hot in a cup. Old Yankees grumbled on street corners and muttered ominously about the Farmer’s Almanac predictions for a snowy winter 2007-8 – just like the ones they used to know. . . .
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The Return of Victoria!
It was a red letter day when Victoria magazine returned to the shelves this month. There are very few publications on the market at present which feature articles on Victorian homes and Victoriana, Victorian Homes and Country Victorian were the last two after the Hearst Company cancelled Victoria a few years ago. Fans of the glorious magazine, filled with lavish photography went into mourning. Now under a new company management, Victoria has returned as beautiful as ever with features covering all aspects of Victorian life and style. Instead of monthly, the magazine will come out only 6 times a year as it did when it debuted. There is also a website and forum and a free online newsletter and magazine excerpts-what a great Christmas gift!
http://magazine-directory.com/Victoria.htm
Also visit Victorian Homes http://www.victorianhomesmag.com/
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Victorian Christmas on The Hill
Once again the Fall River Preservation Society will be presenting a holiday house stroll featuring the beautiful “Painted Ladies” of The Hill section of the city and the Borden home on Second Street. Last year was such a success with hayrides, carollers, refreshments and the Historical Society’s annual Christmas display at the Rock and Maple Street corner, this year’s tour of the stately homes, filled with antiques and holiday decorations, promises to exceed all expectations. The Second Street Irregulars will be attending, as many as can in costume, for a glimpse of the Past, history, architecture, good company and great food. http://www.fallriverpreservation.org/events.php -
Lizzie Rides Home in Style
There may not have been stretch limos in 1893 to bring Lizzie back to Fall River in style, but the vehicle which bore her away in triumph was the aristocrat of all carriages- a barouche. This elegant conveyance sported a half roof which could collapse convertible-style if the weather was fair. The photo below is of a two-horse 1890 barouche although a larger barouche-landau might have a matched double set of smart-looking horses, heads held high with a checking rein. The landau model had a full roof and complete enclosure for passengers.
After some clever diversionary tactics to throw off the throngs waiting for her exit from court, a party consisting of Lizzie’s attorney, former governor George Robinson, sister Emma, Lizzie and Mr. and Mrs. Charles Holmes entered the barouche and left for a welcome home party on Pine Street, Fall River in Lizzie’s honor at the home of Mr. & Mrs. Holmes. Lizzie acknowledged the well-wishers with a wave of her white hanky. One might recall the pile of unironed hankies Lizzie was ironing on the diningroom table on the day of the murders!
As she sped away, the rented hack carriage which had brought her back and forth from jail pulled to the front, the same faithful old sorrel in harness. But the crowd gathered at the curb was disappointed, for Lizzie had outfoxed them in a move worthy of a modern day Britney Spears!
A sorrel horse, a shade of chestnut with lighter chestnut mane and tail.
Most probably a larger barouche, passengers facing each other, was needed to accommodate the large Borden party of 5 in comfort.
(source reference, Boston Globe June 21, 1893)
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Fairhaven Town Hall
Among many reasons to visit the town of Fairhaven, one must be the magnificent town hall, one of several municipal structures owing its existence to town benefactor, Henry H. Rogers. Just across the street from the Millicent Library, the town hall has spectacular English oak panelling and fittings in the Gothic Revival style, a second floor theatre/auditorium which was dedicated by no lesser mortal than Mark Twain himself in 1894, and sweeping expanses of jewel -toned stained glass lancet windows. The exteriors, are equally impressive, feature molded terracotta arches, tiled mosaic entries and breath-taking architectural details. This grand edifice, and the library as well, were in the building stages at the time of Emma Borden’s visit to the Brownells on Green Street in the summer of 1892.
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Visiting the real 221B Baker Street
In 1994 I was lucky to finally realize a life long wish to visit London. Just around the corner from the famous Madame Tussaud’s wax museum is 221 Baker Street, which downstairs houses Mrs. Hudson’s Tea Room and upstairs, a faithful representation of the apartment of the fictional Holmes. Thousands of letters pour in yearly to Sherlock, with addresses which span the globe, all asking for advice.It is great fun to visit here, and I see their website has become quite sophisticated, with a tour of the premises, gift shop, paid quarterly magazine, and much more. I know you will enjoy surfing the many nooks and crannies of this site, maybe shopping at the online store, watching video clips and listening to the great Jeremy Brett series audio music files. Here is a free quiz you might try out if you are a Sherlockian. You will win a 10 dollar coupon to spend in the giftshop or online store even if you miss a few! They also send you a free complimentary copy of the next issue of The Baker Street Times, which is a treasure of information about the Life and Times of Sherlock Holmes in the late Victorian period. So, enjoy!http://www.sherlock-holmes.co.uk/library/quiz/QUESTIONNAIRE.HTML
To enter the museum site with its many links click here http://www.sherlock-holmes.co.uk/home.htm
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Rock Street after the rain
After a wet start to the weekend, the sun burst forth Saturday about 2 p.m. and left the Painted Ladies of Rock Street refreshed and ready for their close-ups. The Victorian garden of the Fall River Historical Society was glistening with raindrops, the heavy pink heads of late summer roses bending low. Already the holly hedge is thick with ruby berries, portent of Christmas to come. Who can blame Lizzie for wanting to live up on The Hill?
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Halloween must be coming
The upscale catalogue, Victorian Trading Company http://www.victoriantradingco.com/index.html is offering one of the nicest Lizzie Borden costumes on the market, complete with large axe and a cunning little hat. The calico two-piece ensemble is well-made and makes some of the other Lizzie costumes look- well, tawdry in comparison. This little number would be perfectly in style for those hot August mornings as well. Victorian Trading Co. offers thousands of Victorian-inspired home decor, holiday, fashion, and stationery items.
This notoriously wicked woman is accessorized with the weapon that wiped out her unfortunate family in forty whacks. Includes: Authentic Victorian day dress in a mustard print featuring exaggerated poufed sleeves on the shirtwaist with antiqued metal buttons and pleated skirt back, authentic hat design with elastic chin strap and long netted veil, and of course, her trusty axe. #i12092 $149.95 -
Fall River Painted Ladies and City Treasures
The term Painted Lady came into the American vernacular with a popular publication featuring San Francisco’s lovely old Victorians, which were being lovingly restored and painted in ice cream parlor shades in the 1960’s-70’s. Every city has a few of these grande dames from another era. For awhile they became white elephants, cut up for multi-family units, condos, or business offices. In the 1970’s, with the gas crisis, nobody wanted a Painted Lady with her 10-12 foot ceilings to heat. Finally, preservationists and homeowners everywhere are coming to appreciate the intricate gingerbread, interior woodwork, tin ceilings, hardware, stained glass and irreplaceable beauty and craftmanship of these gracious old homes.
The Hill area in the north end of Fall River boasts a plethora of Painted Beauties from Rock, Belmont, Highland Avenue, Underwood, High, French, Lincoln, North Main and Maple to the south end of town. This little album is one of several to come extolling the grandeur and the glory of old Fall River homes, churches and mills.
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Haunted Happenings- ‘Tis the Season
Autumn comes early to New England. Already the sugar maples are beginning to show fiery-orange tips, the corn is mile-high, candy corn is filling the shelves- and #92 is booked for Halloween night. Haunted University will be returning to the Borden House on September 28 and 29 and was a soldout event in days. The urns and barn buckets at #92 are overflowing with colorful chrysanthemums as the old house gets in gear for a busy season second only to August.1892 was a year for for murderous happenings. On the other coast of the United States, at the Hotel Del Coronado, a lady using the name of Kate Morgan checked into the famous Victorian wooden hotel resort. She and her husband were professional card sharps with a scam that paid off. “Kate” now found herself expecting a child, and was worried about how her husband and lifestyle would accommodate motherhood. She purchased a gun and ammunition as she waited for her husband to arrive at the hotel, but was found brutally shot in the head a day later under mysterious circumstances. It wasn’t long before the tales of a pale woman “haunting” the premises sprang up and continue to this day.
Kate Morgan in the 1880’s Murder or Suicide?The Del Coronado is most remembered for the Marilyn Monroe film, Some Like it Hot with Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis. It is still a magnificent structure, and those who visit a certain room, swear the bizarre phenomena is generated by the ghost of the 1892 Kate Morgan. Several books have been written about the case, which remained unsolved and was thought to be a suicide. The books are available on Amazon.com and make fascinating Halloween reading. For more on the story and the historic hotel visit http://www.hoteldel.com/ and one ghosthunter’s experience in room 3312 http://www.eeeek.com/coronadoghost.html
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Postcards- Affordable Collectibles
If vintage or antiquarian books about Fall River, or volumes from Lizzie’s Maplecroft library are out of reach for most wallets, there’s always great views of the city on stereopticon or post cards. The golden age of the postcard must surely be 1900-1915, and there are numerous comic, seasonal, historic, and everyday street views of Fall River flooding ebay and flea markets. Civic buildings, parks, landmarks, municipal events, are recorded for posterity on these highly-collectible scraps of heavy card stock. Glitter cards and very early photographic cards are especially collectible. Here is a sample of a comic Fall River card which sold recently for 6.00. The happy couple is peering through a long scope lens at the city below. Can you place just where in the city they are gazing down with such rapture?
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Introducing the Demure Mrs. Daphne Dare, Domestic Doyenne
It is hard to know if such a paragon of wisdom, style and taste ever did exist, but a certain Mrs. Dare, in 1892, published several works outlining all manner of directions and advice for living a proper and gracious life. From cradle to grave Mrs. Dare deigns to declare her decided designs and directions on how to move in “polite society”. The divine Daphne will be making regular visits to Warps and Wefts to enlighten the Gentle Readers here, and to offer advice on those pressing matters and anxious questions which plague the thoughts of all those who wish to step out on the right foot in finer circles. Tonight, the use of umbrellas is given thoughtful attention:” If a gentleman is walking with two ladies in a rainstorm, and there is but one umbrella, he must yield it to his fair companion and walk outside. To do otherwise is absurd, for if he should walk between the two ladies he would be perfectly protected himself, but the ladies would get the benefit of the innumerable little streams running off the sides of the umbrella. A gentleman never stops a lady on the street to converse with her, but will turn and walk by her side. If she should be accompanied by a male companion, it is well to be sure that your presence will not be an interference before venturing to join them in their promenade.”
