Lizzie Borden Society Forum

Hi! Newbie here. I found this pic online and purchased it. Listed as "Woman From Fall River". I was surprised at the resemblance to Emma. I'm making no claims but have floated it around and have gotten some feedback that it merits more investigation. I would love your opinions. Patty

Here is a group of pics my cabinet card along with known pictures of Emma and reversed. http://imgur.com/a/rvPVp

Hi immaseeya, and welcome to the Forum! It does have something of the look of Emma about it, I agree. The Borden 'girls' both had those light eyes, didn't they? The poor woman had a bit of a hideous hairstyle though!. Those curling irons certainly produced a frizz!

The clothing looks to me like mid-1880's at first glance, though I'm surprised at what appears to be a lack of bustle in the skirt if it is. I'll have to study the face more closely and then give my opinion I think.

Curryong wrote:Hi immaseeya, and welcome to the Forum! It does have something of the look of Emma about it, I agree. The Borden 'girls' both had those light eyes, didn't they? The poor woman had a bit of a hideous hairstyle though!. Those curling irons certainly produced a frizz!

The clothing looks to me like mid-1880's at first glance, though I'm surprised at what appears to be a lack of bustle in the skirt if it is. I'll have to study the face more closely and then give my opinion I think.

The hair!! Oh my! :D

Thank you for your time. Also, I want to point out that another person who reviewed all 3 photos (not an expert) claims the newest photo "found" of Emma did not match the original known photo of her or mine.

A childhood picture supposedly of Lizzie is definitely not Lizzie, and I don't think this is Emma although the resemblance is certainly there. As Possum previously pointed out, ear lobes do not change and these ear lobes attach differently than those on the known Emma. Welcome!

whether it;'s Emma or not-- it is a nice find and could be a relative. It is also good to hear that it wasn't sold purported to be Emma. I would have bought it too.

OK. Talked with the seller to see if I could get more info. She says the pic came by way of a long ago friend. Seller had 2 pics for sale. The one I purchased and another of a baby girl taken in the same studio in Fall River. I did not buy the baby.....yet. She believes both were pics her friend's husband's family. Sketchy on details but she thinks the baby's name was Helen Tripp, could be the child of the woman in my picture. Helen being the possible grandmother of her friend's husband (90+years old if still alive) last name Mosher.

Aamartin wrote:whether it;'s Emma or not-- it is a nice find and could be a relative. It is also good to hear that it wasn't sold purported to be Emma. I would have bought it too.

Yes! Thanks! It is a fun find.

Tripp! Now there's a name to conjure with! An old name in the district. It recurs in the Lizzie Borden story, Augusta Tripp (nee Poole) being Lizzie's old schoolfriend and supporter. A Tripp also owned a restaurant on Second Street, Fall River.

Curryong wrote:Tripp! Now there's a name to conjure with! An old name in the district. It recurs in the Lizzie Borden story, Augusta Tripp (nee Poole) being Lizzie's old schoolfriend and supporter. A Tripp also owned a restaurant on Second Street, Fall River.

Yep. I'm trying to pinpoint Helen's history. No luck yet. Very interesting though.

It looks a lot like Emma. I'm undecided on the ear lobes. So many of these families were intermarried over and over that it wouldn' necessarily be impossible for a bunch of them to look alike. I always thought Emma most resembled her father and Fall River was absolutely crawling with Bordens!

Lizzie's eyes were said to be grey. A certain kind of film from back then could not photograph blue which came out lighter than it should have.

Hi, immaseeya, welcome to the forum; it's wonderful to see a newbie posting!

The photo does resemble Emma, but I'll need to study it a bit more before I decide if it is actually her, or not.

Good morning and thank you to all who have welcomed me here!

I made a short video of the known pic of Emma superimposed onto my photo, for comparison. Take into consideration that I reversed "Emma" to do this. Also, take into consideration that in my picture, the lady is ore of a front on shot where as Emma has a more of a profile thus showing more ear and less left (right eye in reverse) eye. PS pardon my sighing. I'm having a terrible back issue and just sitting at a keyboard is causing me pain. I didn't realize it could be heard in the background. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNCakF9 ... e=youtu.be

You've taken so much trouble! I agree that there is a remarkable similarity betwwen the two faces you've superimposed. My only reservation is this. I have an interest in historical costume. The clothing of the woman in the photo you purchased says 1884-1886 to me. If we take a middle year, say 1885, if the lady is Emma Borden she would have been 34 years old. (Emma was born in March 1851.) Does this woman look like a person in their mid-30's is a question you should ask yourself. I would have to say no, but others may disagree.

That is very cool although I still don't think the woman in the picture is Emma, in part because of ear lobes, the lack of slightly odd Borden eyes and also because Emma always seems to have a prim, looking-down-her-nose expression that this woman lacks. But....they look more like sisters than Emma and Lizzie do which makes me wonder if she's a Borden or Morse cousin. Or aunt.

Thank you all for your opinions. I will continue to try to ID the woman. Thus far, if going by the info the seller gave me, she could be either Ellen Louise Bloomer or Augusta Davis Poole. I can't find a Mosher connection to a Helen Tripp anywhere. Does anyone know where they may be a pic of Augusta?

Suddard's Studio in Fall River was open 1890-1905. Prior to this Suddard has a studio in Providence, RI.

Well, Augusta is the friend of Lizzie's I spoke of. I've never seen a photo or even a drawing of Augusta. Try the Fall River Historical Society. They may know of one.