THE FALL RIVER LEGEND
“Lizzie Borden took an axe
And gave her mother forty whacks.
When she saw what she had done
She gave her father forty-one!”
On the morning of August 4th, 1892, cries of “Murder!” erupted from the Fall River, Massachusetts home of wealthy real estate investor Andrew Borden. His daughter Lizzie had discovered his body in the family sitting room, his head crushed by ten blows to the skull from an axe. When the residence was searched they discovered his second wife, corpulent Abby Borden, in a similar condition in an upstairs bedroom.
There is overwhelming evidence that 32 year-old Lizzie Borden did indeed butcher both her father and much-hated stepmother. The motive? One rumor has it that miserly Andrew was about to draw up a new will leaving Abby in complete charge of his estate. The fact that Lizzie and her Stepmother did not get along was no secret to anyone in Fall River.
Although a suspect from the very beginning, the fact that Lizzie was not covered in blood when the police arrived seemed to point to her innocence. This has left many criminologists to theorize that perhaps Lizzie committed the murders either in the nude or in her undergarments.
In the end social decorum dictated that she be acquitted. Nobody dared consider a woman of Lizzie’s social standing committing such a heinous act nor could they picture a woman of her station swinging from a gallows if guilty.
Unfazed either by the trial or the continued gossip about her guilt or innocence Lizzie wasted no time in installing herself in a nicer residence in a better part of town. She eventually set tongues to wagging again by taking actress Nance O'Neil as a constant companion. The two eventually parted company leaving an inconsolable Lizzie alone in her Fall River mansion. She died of complications occurring from gall bladder surgery on June 1st, 1927 at age 67.
Information
Height:
Figure: 31”
On Stand: 34”
Stand:
21”x21”x3”
Lizzie’s Costume by Griffith Henninger
Lizzie Borden is portrayed partially disrobed in her undergarments and high button shoes. Her ultra-smart "hour-glass" corset is constructed of antique flame-red duchess satin and is overlaid with antique Chantilly lace. It's sensuous "art nouveau" curves are heightened by lines of black jet beads. The busks down the center front of the corset are made of black jet. This straight-laced corset is finished with an antique Chantilly lace edging at the bottom, which is softened by an antique black chiffon ruffle. The chiffon ruffle is repeated at the top of the corset, which ends in a tiny black satin ribbon multi-looped bow. Lizzie's early 1890's corset was specifically designed to look as though she could have purchased in Paris during the European tour she took before the murder of her parents and its bold color and design is meant to symbolize the conflict between her hidden passions and the rigid propriety of her outer appearance.
Hanging open from her shoulders is Lizzie's delicate lace corset-cover, which is worked, in antique netting and lace insertion. The corset-cover is outlined with fine antique tatting lace and is finished with fresh water pearl buttons.
Lizzie's bloomers are made of the finest handkerchief linen which has been hand tucked into quarter inch pleats. A hand embroidered design of open-work, backed with black chiffon, runs down the side of each leg of the bloomers and they are finished off at the knee by a band of hand embroidered Batiste accented by a black satin gathered ribbon.
Just below the bloomers one can catch a glimpse of Lizzie's imported black-stripped silk stockings, which had to have been purchased on the same European tour that Lizzie took prior to the murders.
Lizzie's high-buttoned shoes are the final statement of her appearance and are made of antique black silk lace and rich black embroidery lace and are accented by semi-precious lolite black buttons
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