Yes: it was around 2:30 in the morning. Soaking with insomnia I just could not sleep so I sat in front of the tv watching an episode of Gunsmoke. I had just viewed that episode the week last. So I took the sound off and grabbed my laptop.
"
Think I'll look for a never seen photo of Lizzie in this auction site" I said to myself......kidding.
The dealer on the site had a series of cabinet photos, tintypes and CDVs. There were three or four of them from Fall River, Massachusetts.
When I clicked on the second page, POP, there it was. An image of a young lady. A striking likeness of Lizzie. Was it Lizzie? In that short moment I was positive. It was a young twenty something or late teen Lizzie.
Had to have it.
Bought it.
Looking at the image there was no question in my mind that it is lizzie. Or was it?
There is one problem with it.
The girl in the photo has the wrong clothing on. This was later verified by myself and the FRHS. I should have known better. I should have known when I first saw it. The girl looks in her late teens or early twenties. She is sporting a winter jacket with large buttons and longe bellowed elbow length leg of mutton sleeves, sleeves that were not popular until the very early 90s. The age and the clothing did not compliment each other if this was indeed Lizzie.
Now, as many here may know, Lizzie had her photos, (most, all?) taken at Gay Studios. Here is some proof........ a quote from Parallel Lives by Martins and Binette:
Sometime between the years 1890 and 1892 Lizzie sat for her photograph at the fashionalbe studio of Gay's Gallery of Art at 39 South Main Street in Fall River."
Another quote for Parallel Lives is: [/i][/b
]One gift presented by Lizzie A. Borden to her friend Minnie, dating to about 1916, was a recently taken photograph of herself......"[/i][/b] etc.
The point I am making with these quotes is that Lizzie was friends with Minnie and Winona Gay, owners of Gay Studios. (at 39 South Main Street)
Now, 39 South Main Street was the property owned by Andrew Borden. Later it became the A. J. Borden building when a new building was put on the site.
Back to my photograph of Lizzie......supposedly Lizzie.
It was taken at Gay Studios at 39 South Main Street and it states it on the bottom of the cabinet card. Andrew Borden owned the building that housed Gay Studios. Gay Studios was a block from 92 Second Street. Chances are Lizzie would have gone to Gay Studios before she would have gone to Walsh. (Not that she did not go to Walsh)
When I compare it to the photo above of the girl that looks like Lizzie, my photograph looks a lot more like Lizzie, a bit heavier, a little more plump, stout, not fat or portly though.
I don't mean to tease everyone here with this information and not show you the photograph in my hands, but I want to make sure
it is or it is not Lizzie before I post it. I am going to have it professionally analyzed by face recognition experts before I do.
Until then I will post a portion of it.
The eyes.
You can compare the eyes of my Lizzie with the eyes of the Lizzie in the photo at the beginning of this tread and reach your own conclusions.
Again, sorry for the tease. If I thought it was someone who looked like Lizzie, I would post it. But, I truly believe it is Lizzie, an unseen cabinet photograph of Lizzie Borden.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The photo below is of Lizzie Borden's eyes.
The sepia colored eyes on the bottom are taken from my photograph. The smaller ones on top is a well known photo of a young Lizzie, probably close to the same age.
What do you think?
Are those Lizzie eyes or what?
If it is Lizzie Borden you will see the entire photograph in the HATCHET MAGAZINE.
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.