Lizzie Borden Society Forum

Allen, the closets we are talking about are the closet in the elder Borden's bedroom next to the chimney that backs up to Lizzie's closet that is now a cupboard with drawers. Kat posted a jpg. of DeMille's floorplan of the second floor of 92 Second Street on page 1 of this thread. Scroll down for it. Maybe you can make out the measurements better or better yet, do you have a copy of DeMille's book?

Susan @ Tue Mar 15, 2005 4:32 am wrote:And a thought did come to mind, coat hangers as we know them weren't readily in use in Lizzie's day, so the coats may have been hung on pegs or nails in the back of the closet. The first coat hanger was patented in 1869. It was patented again by Albert J. Parkhouse in 1903 and went into production.

Late Victorian wardrobes had no rail fitted to hang clothes on, but they did have hooks and sometimes nails along the back and sides on which to hang coats and cloaks.These garments even had tapes or small chains sewn into the back of the collar for that purpose.
The earliest coat hangers were, as today, shaped like human shoulders and were known as 'clothes shoulders'.
This was soon shortened to 'clothes holders' and eventually just became known as 'clothes-hangers' or `hangers'.
They were mostly made out of wood, the contoured shapes usually beech, although the very best are made from mahogany, sometimes with brass parts attached.
The earliest relevant advertisement I have is a Sears Roebuck brochure showing wire hangers costing 45 cents per dozen.
The item, dated 1897, says that Sears Roebuck is "the cheapest supply house on earth".


http://mthreew.homestead.com/jackdaw004.html

This I found interesting because Lizzie said she had "basted a little piece of tape on a garmet". Then says she "basted the little loop on the sleeve." I doubted the hanging mechanism would've been on a sleeve, but thought it interesting. Sorry Susan, there is only one closet in the Borden's bed room. The other two I would consider small rooms, not closets. I don't know what I was thinking when I asked that question. Chalk it up to a momentary lapse of sanity, good thing there wasn't a hatchet lying around . The room used as the bathroom now, what was it's use then? Was it a clothes press as well? As for getting the measurements, I am not sure because I have never tried to use one, but aren't there programs that allow you to draw up blue prints and floor plans and such? If anyone happened to own one it might be very helpful towards getting a measurement. I had no luck making out any kind of a measurement. I would only be able to hazard a guess myself, which wouldnt' get anyone anywhere.

Allen @ Tue Mar 15, 2005 2:00 pm wrote:
This I found interesting because Lizzie said she had "basted a little piece of tape on a garmet". Then says she "basted the little loop on the sleeve." I doubted the hanging mechanism would've been on a sleeve, but thought it interesting. Sorry Susan, there is only one closet in the Borden's bed room.

No problem about the closet, Allen, as I would term that other room that is now a bathroom and corresponds with the pantry on the first floor another closet. But, I have no idea what the elder Borden's used it for? Was it a clothing closet much like Lizzie and Emma's? I don't think there is any reference to it in anything that I've seen.

The thing Lizzie basted on the sleeve I've always took to be a button loop. From what I know about those 1890s blouses, the tops of the sleeves may have been loose and ballooned out, but, the lower portions were meant to be tight. So, the lower sleeves usally had a few buttons at the cuff and up a bit.