Lizzie Borden Society Forum

What color is the pansy pin that Lizzie wears in one of her much-published photos? I thought it was white, but in the 'Sourcebook' there was an article on Lizzie's appearance in court, and they said the pansy pin was garish or gaudy. I think they referred to the pin as yellow (?).

I couldn't find anything on the color. In Rebello, page 233:

"She [Lizzie] came to the into the courtroom just before 3 o'clock attired as she had been on the other days, excepting that the cheap enamel pin, a gaudy hued pansy which she wore at her throat was not worn, but the large pin with the innocent face of a child painted upon it, which she has generally worn, was substituted." Fall River Daily Globe, June 8, 1893: 1."

I did an online search for enameled pansy pins from Lizzie's time period. Purple appears to be in first place, there is just tons of it. Yellow comes in second, it seems to be quite a bit more rare. And in third is pink and burgundy, I could only find a couple examples of this coloration. Lizzie had alot of blue dresses, do you think she might have chosen a pin enameled in a deep bluish purple to compliment them?

Didn't she wear black at the trial? Wearing a purple pin against the black would definitely make it 'stand out'. Maybe enough for it to be called gaudy or garish. Thanks for looking that up Susan. I'll go with purple, because Yellow has never been one of my favorite colors. Yellow Topaz is my birthstone and I hate it.

For those who believe in the healing power of stones/crystals, topaz is said to have some very nice properties.


Tracy...

Yes, HARRY, the predudice of the Globe in Fall River shines through in their amature attack on such a thing as a pin, calling it cheap and gaudy. The loathing they felt for Lizzie was always displayed in their reports of the case.

On the other hand, one of the leading papers in the country, the Sun in New York who's reporter Julian Ralph always gave a more objective view, and many times actually complemented Lizzie as very Ladylike, was in contrast to many Local pulications.

Of course this was done in the face of popular belief that Lizzie must have been a grotesque monster to have killed her parents. Since the Globe had deemed her guilty, few good words were printed about her.

Yes ALLEN: Radin wrote that reporters described her dress as being "black dress, ornamented with narrow velvet ribbon, with her only jewelry a large pin with an enameled engraving of a pansy, worn at her throat. (very seductive>) So, if the pin was purple it would look fine against the black. What I am surprise they did not pick on was, "a poke-shaped black straw hat trimmed with blue feathers and velvet rosettes."

The hat having blue feathers, could the pansy be blue? Purple works....

All reporters being men, the hat was beyond their expertise. What do men know about hats anyway?


(Radin pg 107)

I don't know how you found what the popular color of pansy enameled pins were in Lizzie's time, Susan. You're a whiz! Thanks for the info.

Thanks for the excerpt, Harry. I remembered it in general, but having it there word for word was helpful.

For some reason, I have yellow as the color. When I read, I picture what I am reading. To me, yellow - especially if she wore black - would have looked gaudy to a critical eye. I always thought her pin was a white pansy years ago, before I stumbled into the land of Borden.

Blue was her favorite color. A dark shade of it or purple should not have looked garish.

Mbhenty: That's a good point about the hat. There were women reporters at the trial.

Found this in DeMille's Dance of Death, p75:

"And there she sat in her neat blue dress, a little brooch in the shape of a pansy, and tip-tilted hat with the cherry-colored ribbons, Sunday School teacher, devoted worker for Temperance, Christian Aid, and Foreign Missions, a small bouquet on the table before her brought by her minister."

When Lizzie died she left a sapphire brooch to Helen Leighton which is described in Jewelry (Schedule B) on page 331+ in Rebello:

"Yellow Gold Diamond, Pearl and Sapphire Brooch - $200.00
1 Diamond about 1 carat
2 oval-shaped sapphires
12 small genuine Pearls"

Obviously this is not the pansy pin but the color yellow appears on this item and on several other jewelry items (rings) left to Helen Leighton.

Yes AUGUSTA: Of course it is only a reckless guess on my part in assuming there were no women reporters at her trial, especially in the late 19th century.

But I love the description of the hat, makes me want to wear it..........(hope that doesn't say to much about me. :oops)