Lizzie's Passport

[Shelley]

Over the years, I have had a lot of fun with Titanic buddies looking into the National Archive Passport department, finding facts and photos of passengers. Recently I asked my young friend and maritime author Mike Poirier to help me find Lizzie's passport. He did so with speed which amazed me, and I have followed up by finding Anna and Carrie Borden's passport as well as Ellen Marion Shove, and other "Lizzie-related people"- Lizzie's 3 travel companions. I am awaiting more information regarding this trip in 1890 aboard the Scythia from Cunard Archives, with an expanded story coming out in February in the Hatchet. Stef has published a short article and the images at this link on the Virtual Library which will be able to be seen by everyone interested in Lizzie at http://www.lizzieandrewborden.com/NewRe ... iedzic.htm

I believe we can AT LONG LAST put to rest the myth that Lizzie was a redhead and was 5 feet 4 inches tall!

[twinsrwe]

I believe we can AT LONG LAST put to rest the myth that Lizzie was a redhead and was 5 feet 4 inches tall!

As well as that her eyes were blue!

Thanks for sharing this with us, Shelley.

[Angel]

But, do we Know how they got that information? Lizzie herself may have given it. If she hated having red hair, for instance, because it was not considered an asset back then, she may have said it was brown.

(I know that many people now days, myself included, would rather die than put my real weight down on my drivers license.)

[Yooper]

Good find Shelley!

It seems that three of the passports, Lizzie's, Carrie's, and Anna's were all applied for at the same time, which was rather close to the departure date.

[Yooper]

But, do we Know how they got that information? Lizzie herself may have given it. If she hated having red hair, for instance, because it was not considered an asset back then, she may have said it was brown.

(I know that many people now days, myself included, would rather die than put my real weight down on my drivers license.)

It looks to me as though William Benedict was making the observations at the time of application and filling in the information. The pen pressure and handwriting look the same for all three documents. It seems as if all the applicants did was sign their names.

[shakiboo]

What a great find! That was a legal document and would be used for her identity in another country, I think if she'd have written "light brown" and her hair WAS red, some one would have surely corrected her......And what if she didn't write down the discription of herself and it was done by some one filling in the the form, that then would be based on some one looking right at her, and not how she would want it written. Same way with how tall she was, wouldn't there have been something there to accuratly measure how tall someone was.....it's a leagal document used for identification in another country. So IMHO it would have to be as accurate as possible.

[twinsrwe]

... It looks to me as though William Benedict was making the observations at the time of application and filling in the information. The pen pressure and handwriting look the same for all three documents. It seems as if all the applicants did was sign their names.

I agree, Jeff. Along with the things you pointed out, the t's, i's, and B's are also very telling.

... it's a leagal document used for identification in another country. So IMHO it would have to be as accurate as possible.

I also agree with Pam - it is a legal document that is used for identification and therefore would have to be as accurate as possible.

[twinsrwe]

...(I know that many people now days, myself included, would rather die than put my real weight down on my drivers license.)

I know what you are saying is true, Ellen. However, the last time I went in to renew my driver's licence I was told my true height could not be used.

My actual height is 5' 2 1/2" - I was told I can be 5' 2" or 5' 3', but I can not be 5' 2 1/2" - So, I went with 5' 3". You know, to us short people of the world, that 1/2 inch means ALOT!

[Susan]

Wow, just when you think we have all the Borden info thats out there, along comes another new find. Great sleuthing, Shelley! I find the wording interesting on the passport applications about "going abroad and promising to return within one year's time. Was the group planning on being gone longer than they were? And Lizzie's traveling companion, Carrie, was a Borden also? I thought her last name was Poole, interesting. So, could she possibly have been a cousin of Lizzie's?

[Shelley]

I agree that the three Bordens' documents are filled in by the same individual, then notarized by Mr. Benedict and signed by the applicant. The notary had to sign to bear witness that he knew the girls and that he agreed the information provided was accurate. Lizzie did not have the luxury of fudging on the form herself. All three forms are filed on the same day, and are sent to Thomas Borden. Only Ellen Shove planned ahead and got there a month earlier. Maybe it was Ellen who instigated the tour and asked the others to go with her a little later. We may never know. Passports were required to have a photo after 1916, before that a careful description had to suffice, and so care was taken to get hair color, height, mouth size, nose, chin, etc. correct. Mercifully weight was not an item for that fluctuates greatly over years- but height seldom does by very much, although I know elderly people may "shrink" somewhat. Carrie and Anna applied again for a passport in 1910 but no more for Ellen or Lizzie. I am currently seeking one for Emma's rumored trip to Scotland- with no success at present. Mostly I was very glad to expose the modern myth that Lizzie was a redhead- I could find that in no newpaper of the day. Brown hair, with Emma's a darker shade was the description most papers gave and that looks, even in a B/W photo to be right. I was interested in the 5 foot 3 inasmuch as that was Abby's given height on the autopsy and being of the same height can have some relevance in the angle of the initial blow to Abby's head, or might furnish some insight into Abby's position. The two women would have been eye to eye on a daily basis!

[Kat]

Wow, just when you think we have all the Borden info thats out there, along comes another new find. Great sleuthing, Shelley! I find the wording interesting on the passport applications about "going abroad and promising to return within one year's time. Was the group planning on being gone longer than they were? And Lizzie's traveling companion, Carrie, was a Borden also? I thought her last name was Poole, interesting. So, could she possibly have been a cousin of Lizzie's?

Cool passports!

Here is the relationship between these 2 Borden families:

[Shelley]

Wow- I thought they were even more distant than great-grandfathers being brothers. That makes them what- cousins thrice removed?

[Kat]

As we know, the arrest book is where we have received our description of Lizzie, until now. It says "light" hair. We had a discussion a long time ago about Lizzie's hair color and had to keep coming back to what color "light" was considered back then. We had settled on "Light" brown, by some other sources, and we wrote the *Red-headed League* online site to inform them! (It didn't change anything tho there.)

The arrest book says 5'4" too.
So is the passport more likely right on height, or the arrest book?

[Kat]

Yes thrice removed! Very good- most find that complicated! I learned what that's called not too long ago- from RobertHarry!

[Yooper]

One more thought: If the passports were issued with a time limit, a year for instance, it might not make sense to apply too far in advance. Too early an application would minimize the time of effectiveness. Maybe that's why the applications were made so shortly before the trip.

[Yooper]

Good question about the authority for Lizzie's height, Kat. Both documents allow for fractions of an inch. The police might be more likely to have a means to accurately measure height on the spot. The arrest book is also likely to be observations made by someone other than the subject, the same as the passport application. My guess would be that height would be the only observation not likely made by direct measurement for the passport application, the rest could be determined by simply looking at the subject. Would women be apt to fudge a bit on their height if they were only asked about it?

[Kat]

Yes that's exactly what I was thinking! A girl might very well fudge on her height, as she might want to be considered small and feminine. That would apply to the passport, but not to the arrest book- because by the time officials were describing possible felons they knew about Bertillon.

[Yooper]

I would have to vote for Lizzie's height being 5'4", based upon the arrest book. The notary would be less likely to put the ladies "up against the wall" in front of a measuring tape!

[Angel]

Where did this idea of Lizzie having red hair start?

[Shelley]

It would also depend on whether she was wearing a shoe with a heel or in her stocking feet when she was measured by the matron at the police station. Her black tie oxfords, of that period did have a small heel, which would account for that one inch difference easily. I was more excited about the hair color. So many recent articles and books have Lizzie with red hair, it will take some time to determine just WHO was first.

[Kat]

Was she measured by a matron?
The description of an arrestee might be very carefully done because we don't think a *mug shot* was taken. If the female suspect escaped, officials would need an accurate description. Also, as I mentioned, Bertillon- they had rigorous standards to identify criminal types as well. I think info like that was *collected.* They may not have used fingerprinting, but they did know to measure carefully.

[Harry]

Her hair color varies with who is describing it. Here a a list I have accumulated over the years. Most of the books were done by Diana. The Boston Globe actually described the color 3 different ways within 3 days.
Interesting note tho, only some of the authors use the color red, none of the newspapers.

Authors:

Kent, 93 - "Her nut-brown hair was pulled back into a soft, long roll behind her head."

Lincoln, 37 - "Her hair was naturally curly; however, until it turned the mousy brown I remember in her later years it was red, and in her day red hair was considered ugly, a misfortune to be pitied."

DeMille, 26 - "Her hair was brown and worn softly on the crown."

Sullivan, 20 - ". Her reddish hair was slightly crimped in the fashion of the day, parted exactly in the center and drawn into a high bun behind her head;..."

Brown, 37 - "She had red hair and a temper to match, and she was stubborn and set in her ways."

Radin, 44 - "Her best features were her large expressive eyes and her hair, which was invariably described as "beautiful, fine, soft and glossy." The color was described as nut-brown or auburn tinged, indicating that it had a reddish cast."

Spiering, 5 - "She was thirty-two, not beautiful, yet attractive, with dark reddish hair parted up the middle and combed back into naturally curling waves."

Pearson, 82 - "She was, from maturity, a rather plump person, of middle height, and with light-brown hair."

Newspapers:

Evening Standard, Aug. 30, 1892 – “Miss Lizzie's is invariably worn high on the head. It is a medium brown in color, fine and exceptionally glossy and always carefully curled in front and shows a slight suggestion of waviness at the back.”

Fall River Globe, Aug. 26, 1892 – “A black toque, trimmed with ribbons of the same color and ornamented with a black aigrette, rested on a wealth of light hair, neatly arranged in a coil at the back.”

Boston Globe, Aug. 5, 1892 – “Graceful in movement, she inclines toward the brunette in complexion, with dark eyes and dark hair.”

Boston Globe, Aug. 6, 1892 – “She has light blue eyes, light complexion and hair and is intelligent and attractive in appearance.”

Boston Globe, Aug. 7, 1892 – “Her rich brown hair was combed high and every hair was in its place. While not handsome, Miss Lizzie is decidedly attractive in appearance.

Boston Globe, Aug. 24, 1892 – “Lizzie was the same carefully gowned young woman. Her brown hair was dressed in a roll on the back of her head and surmounted by a dainty blue bonnet trimmed plainly with ribbon and small flowers of the same hue.

Boston Globe, June 6, 1893 – “Her dark brown hair was modestly coiled behind. Her full forehead was very pale, her wide-apart eyes had an unpleasant stare.”

Boston Herald, Aug. 6, 1892 (and Boston Globe) – “A wealth of black hair is revealed under the hat which, arranged on top of her head, is trained about her forehead in short curls, parted in the centre and thrown over to the sides.”

N.Y. Press, June 5, 1893 – “If her eyes were brighter they would be called steel colored, but there is a dullness in them that suggests suffering. There is a dullness too about her hair. It is of a peculiar shade of brown that is hard to describe, otherwise than as a muddy brown. It has that look on it too that gives it the appearance of sickness.”

N.Y. Herald, Aug. 8, 1892 – “She is a masculine looking woman, with a strong, resolute, unsympathetic face. She is robustly built; thirty three years old and of average height. Her voice has a peculiar guttural harshness. Her hair is brown and long, her eyes brown and steady.”

[stuartwsa]

Excellent find, Shelley! Have you started searching yet for Emma's passport from her trip to Scotland in the early 1900s?

[Shelley]

Yes, I have thus far had NO luck with Emma's passport. Thanks for gathering all the hair references in one place, Harry. I put far more faith in the descriptions of people who were THERE and none at all in Brown, Radin or Lincoln. As much as I enjoy Lincoln's writing, I find she embellishes things with much artistic license and colorful prose.

Brown hair, when viewed beneath a hat is often taken for much darker as the hat brim throws a shadow. I feel brown is accurate- mousey is a derogatory term and could have been used by those not in sympathy with Lizzie, just as "mannish face, heavy jaw", etc. which we see in newspaper descriptions. Chestnut brown does have a reddish tinge. Light brown, which is what appears on her passport might have ash highlights in it- no brown hair unless it is out of a bottle is all one shade. Auburn or red hair is extremely distinctive in every shade from carrot red, bright orange through all the shades to deep auburn which can have a burgundy shade. I worked in a wig salon in college, making switches and nowdays hair color is described by number with #1 being jet black, and getting browner from #2 onward to blonde( in the 20's) to strawberry blonde into the reds .

I don't know if Lizzie was measured by a police matron- I rather think, given who Lizzie was, and the sensibilities of the times, a male officer would not have "handled" or put hands on Lizzie in any manner-still, perhaps she had only to stand by a mark on a chart. Might be fun to research that one. I know Fall River had no female prison, but they must have had a matron to search and accompany other female detainees and inmates who were being processed or sent to other prisons like Taunton. Some things only a woman would be able to ascertain about another woman-now it is the same but for different reasons! Men could also hardly see to bathroom necessities, searching female bodies for concealed evidence or weapons, or bathing needs. I rather wonder if Lizzie had a matron in the train to Taunton.

[Kat]

Yes there was Mrs. Russell and Mrs. Reagan in the Central Station in Fall Rver. Mrs. Reagan had been working there since 1888 (Knowlton Papers Glossary), but my impression of Mrs. Russell was that she had been employed more recent to the crimes- but I don't know from where I have that impression.

That's quite a list of descriptions! Thanks to those who compiled it!
Might the red hair come from Ms. Lincoln?

[twinsrwe]

Goodness, that is quite a wide range of hair colors there. Thanks Harry and Diana. This list makes me wonder if Lizzie dyed her hair.

I did a Google search on hair dye history and found a wide variety of information.

Hair dye is one of the oldest known beauty preparations: http://www.answers.com/topic/hair-dye-1?cat=technology and has been around since biblical times: http://www.kingtutshop.com/Egyptian-Herb/henna.htm

The use Henna, as a natural hair coloring, is ancient. It may have been the very first form of hair color; it was used by Cleopatra and is mentioned in the Bible in Song of Solomon: http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art44222.asp

In 1907 the first synthetic dye was created by chemist Eugene Schueller: http://www.rpsgb.org.uk/informationreso ... tcosm.html

I found this web site http://hennabycynthia.homestead.com/ the most interesting as it has a tidbit of information on the use of Henna which states: Since 1890 it has been widely used in Europe for tinting hair and is usually found in shampoos.

Hmmm, didn't Lizzie's three month trip to Europe occur in 1890? Isn't it possible that Lizzie, being interested in art galleries and such, was exposed to the use of Henna for dyeing her hair? Perhaps this is why there is such a discrepancy in the descriptions of her hair color.

[Kat]

I was thinking Lizbeth, as she aged, might have used henna on her hair to cover gray. I don't know why she would dye it before there was gray.

Thanks for the links!

Does Russell Lake describe Lizbeth's hair color? (I guess she was *old* by the time he took notice of her.)

--Ooops. I looked up in The Source Book the story told by Nance O'Neil pg 345, and it's written there that Lizbeth is described as having "gray eyes and graying hair."
(That's a quote from the news item, not Nance.)
. . . . . .
And about the passport tho- we have another *Lizzie Signature* now, don't we?
(That e-bay auction Michael gives link to in the Second Street Second Hand Shop section reminds me.)

[Yooper]

It is possible for some people with light brown hair to exhibit red highlights when the lighting is right. Back in the days when I had hair, I had red overtones in light brown hair. My beard was not brown, but red before it turned gray.

[Kat]

I had dark brown hair and it was highlighted a little bit red in sunlight. But I think I had Aries rising sign.
I bet if we knew Lizzie's rising sign, we'd know if she was Fire- and that might denote some reddish light to her hair.

[william]

Good work, Shelley - another missing piece of the puzzle has been found.

[Shelley]

Thanks! I have a feeling 2008 will be a banner year for "discoveries"!