Mondo Lizzie Borden

My friend Don Hammontree, singer, photographer, video artist, has posted one of his songs from his new CD “Brutalist School”—titled Quequechan. He has created a music video incorporating his photographs of Fall River, many of which you might recognize.

It is a really fine song. Take a listen.

The second video from Don Hammontree’s latest CD “Brutalist School” (download it at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/hammontree3 or at iTunes), “Quequechan” is the singer/songwriter’s tribute to Fall River, Massachusetts, his home of more than 11 years. Most of the photographs of the city shown in the video were taken by Hammontree, an avid photographer.

Fall River, a city of around 90,000 people that sits on the Massachusetts/Rhode Island border an hour south of Boston. In its heyday, it was one of the largest textile manufacturing centers in the world. Famous Fall River-ites include suspected axe murderess Lizzie Borden, master chef Emeril Lagasse, news host George Stephanopoulos, former Boston Celtic Chris Herren, and Washington Post columnist E.J. Dionne.

A native of Peoria, Ill., Don Hammontree is a singer/songwriter, writer and photographer. “Brutalist School” is his third CD, following “Mount Hope Days” (2003) and “The Mumbai EP” (2005). He is also the author of the self-published novel “Baptized in Formaldehyde,” a day-in-the-life, coming-of-age, sex-drugs-and-rock-and-roll story for the whole family.

A busy performer, Hammontree has played throughout the American Northeast, Midwest and South, as well as in Poland and Ukraine. For his latest shows, please consult

http://www.myspace.com/donhammontree

Don Hammontree is also on Facebook, as well.

From the latest New England Historic Genealogical Society Newsletter:

NEHGS Irish Genealogy Tour

Discover your Irish heritage with the New England Historic Genealogical Society in Dublin, Ireland, May 23–30, 2010. This weeklong guided research tour will give you access to a treasure trove of records in Dublin and the benefit of consultations with some of the foremost experts in Irish genealogy. Your tour features guided research at various repositories in central Dublin, including the General Register Office, National Library, National Archives, and Registry of Deeds, among others. Daily programming includes tutorials, research tips and techniques lectures, personalized consultations and group dinning events. For more information visit www.newenglandancestors.org/9062.asp.

Erin go Braugh!

I have to say I watch this web-only show. I keep up with each episode and find it fresh and interesting. 30 Odd Minutes is the brainchild of Jeff Belanger. He is interested in all things paranormal and has created a great informal interview show that is well worth watching. His cohorts and coworkers include Matt Moniz, Rob Bailey, Andrew Lake, Andy White, and Sarah Samways. Check out their bios here, and don’t forget to mouse over the pictures for a laff.

30 Odd Minutes has produced a show on the Lizzie Borden house.

Here is their description:

Episode 27 – “Live” from Lizzie Borden’s

In Episode 27 we come to you “Live” from the haunted Lizzie Borden house in Fall River, Massachusetts. Okay, not totally “live” because we filmed the episode about a week before it aired. Nobody does a documentary like the 30 Odd Minutes crew! And Lizzie Borden is no different. Just like our studio show we do the whole thing live, straight-through, in one take. You get a tour of the house, learn about some of the history, hear from the manager, Lee Ann, and learn from our special guests: EVP specialist, Mike Markowicz, and the host of Spooky Southcoast Radio, Tim Weisberg. You just don’t know what will happen during this show. Do we uncover evidence of the paranormal or just a prank? Tune in to find out! If the truth is out there… 30 Odd Minutes will find it… but only by sheer accident.

Enjoy!

The Fall River Spirit, a weekly addition to the Herald News, did a nice piece on the famous of Fall River, besides Lizzie Borden! It is a great collection of facts and presents the city and its contributions to culture, politics, sports, and cuisine in a wonderful light indeed.

Link to the article is here.

Bloody Rare Books has had a placeholder for a long while where their Lizzie Borden Collection was one day supposed to go. Well that day has finally arrived and I am happy to say that the site is spectacular!

With research and writing by Richard Behrens, of “Lizzie Borden: Girl Detective” and GardenBay Films (which produces the Lizzie Mini films), this section of the rare book store site is jam-packed with Lizzie info, including a most excellent retelling of the trial of Lizzie Borden.

Bloody Rare indicates that their Lizzie Borden inventory will be uploaded soon. I can’t wait!

Gwen, in her blog Things in My Head, has posted 5 questions that she would like to ask Lizzie Borden. Her post inspired me to add my five questions. Perhaps you have questions as well?

Here are her questions:

1) Let’s get the obvious one out of the way. Did you do it? Did Emma do it? People have written books supporting you both did it or you did or just Emma did it.

2) Did you know someone turned the house on Second Street into a bed and breakfast? People pay over $200 for a night even in Bridget’s old room.

3) Where you and Nance O’Neil girlfriends? Or just friends?

4) Did your father have things to do with you or Emma? There is definitely a something is very wrong vibe there.

5) Why did Emma move out after all those years together? Did she confront you about Nance O’Neil and your theater friends? Just couldn’t stand the sight of each other anymore?

My questions are:
1) Why did you stay in Fall River after your acquittal?
2) Did you burgle your own house on June 24, 1891?
3) Did you celebrate birthdays and holidays like Christmas in your home as you were growing up?
4) Were you a kleptomaniac?
5) After Emma moved out, did you communicate with her again ever, either in person, by telephone, or letter?

Some students at Waltham High School (MA) have put together a short video on the Lizzie Borden case. It is a straight retelling of the story, with a strong emphasis on Lizzie’s probable guilt.

The students cite their sources at the end of the show, but get many of the facts of the case incorrect. Can you spot their mistakes? Comment on your findings below.

Victoriana Magazine, a free online journal of all things Victorian, has returned, and with a new lovely design.

This came to me in an email, which prompted me to visit the new site.

Victoriana Magazine Is Back!

Victoriana Magazine has returned as a new daily blog magazine for Victorian style living featuring fashion and accessories, house remodeling and home decor, entertaining and holidays, food and recipes, history and lifestyles, and much more.
Now you can experience a bit of the 19th century everyday when Victoriana posts a new article related to the Victorian era.

You can receive free updates by email or by your favorite feed reader — you can unsubscribe at any time.

For those who received emails from Victoriana in the past, you will need to sign-up again on our new site to continue using this convenient feature.

Visit Victoriana now to escape to the 19th century!

A group of rather inventive T-shirt designs have popped up recently on Zazzle.com.

Zazzle is the world’s leading platform for quality custom products. Zazzle’s proprietary technology enables individuals, professional artists, and major brands, including Disney and Hallmark, to create and offer billions of unique products for customers worldwide. Zazzle’s rapidly expanding product base covers every topic imaginable and includes t-shirts, business cards, invitations, in addition to a variety of custom gifts. Upon creation, products are instantly and accurately visualized on the site and offered in the Zazzle marketplace. When ordered, each product is made on-demand, typically within 24 hours. Launched in 2005 and based in Redwood City, California, Zazzle’s vision is to redefine commerce, powered by the world’s imagination.

Here are a sampling of their Lizzie Borden wearables.

I really like this one!

Purchase yours here.

This one is less dark and more comical.

Purchase yours here.

This one reminds me of the Haunted Mansion characters at Disney World.

Purchase yours here.

Fall River History Club meeting

Wednesday, February 17, 2010, 6:30 pm

Fall River Public Library, Fall River, MA

Topic: The Fall River Fire of 1916

Presented by George Petrin

COMING SOON!
MARCH 17: Bob Kitchen will discuss the geology/geography of Fall River, and how Fall River became the largest producer of cotton in the world!

Free and open to the public.

See you there!

For anyone interested in Victorian clothing, gifts, cards, furniture, and jewelry: The Victorian Trading Company. The catalog is first rate and fun to peruse. It is available for you to download as well.

They also offer free E-Greetings that you can send to your pals.

Our great good friend and Literary Hatchet contributor, Ada Jill Schneider, will be offering a Valentines Day poetry reading.

You can read some of Ada’s poetry in the FREE issues of the Literary Hatchet. Check it out!

The print version of the 4th edition of the Literary Hatchet is available for sale!

You can order your copy here for only $8.00!

This issue contains some amazing fiction and poetry, from some fabulous writers.

Here is the Table of Contents:

Please support our writers and order your copy today!

There is an interesting contest that unfortunately ends today where people can submit their ideas for a film poster for a movie that never existed, but models itself as a parody on B movies.

JohnLennon15 submitted a poster for a fake film titled “I Married Lizzie Borden.” It is pretty imaginative and well done (see below). I think it might win as it seems to me to be the best of the entries.

Here are the rules:

Yes, it’s B-Movie time! Your goal? To create a convincing poster for one of those enjoyable B-Movies (or lower down the alphabet).

Sound’s simple? Well, we’re going to make it even more challenging! Your goal is NOT to mock films, not to parody them – your goal is to take a randomly generated B-Movie title and make a poster that is as believable as possible for the movie you’ve imagined!

Here’s what you do!

* Go to the B-Movie Generator and generate a title you want to do the poster of.

Now, when you do this poster, you also have to include the following on your entry at the site it’s hosted at:

* The year it was made.
* A summary of the plot and characters.
* Any other extra detail to make it more believable.

So if your fake picture is from the 70’s, the poster is going to be in a different style than say, the 90’s or the 50’s. This also gives you a chance to find a style that fits your artistic skills and interests, from the cut-and-paste oddness of grindhouse posters to some of the strange and lush art of the 70’s and more!

A few resources to help those of you looking to do a blast from the past:

* Some 1970’s posters.
* Some 1960’s posters.
* Some 1950’s drive in posters.

So go on, let’s see what kind of wonderfully cheese films you can create – that never were.