From the Niagara Falls Review: James Hardy has a special place in the history of Niagara Falls. He was the final official participant in a 19th century phenomenon often referred to as the great age of Niagara tightrope artists — something that captured much of the world’s attention. That “age” began in 1859 when the…
The Citizen in Fayetteville, GA has an article about Felix Baumgartner (the guy who jumped from almost outer space). The beginning of the article is about Blondin (a daredevil tie-in). In the 1800s, an acrobat named Blondin became famous for walking across Niagara Falls on a tightrope numerous times. One day, a crowd gathered to…
From the Leavenworth Times: Niagara Falls is world famous for romantic escapes and dare devil feats. Several people have gone over the falls in barrels surviving “certain death” while a few perished. Nik Wallenda will walk across the falls in June 2012, the first to attempt this feat since “The Great Blondin” 150 years ago….
From Niagara This Week: Niagara Falls’ first funambulist is getting his due. Immortalized in miniature crossing Victoria Avenue on a highwire, Blondin will now be recognized with his very own street after city politicians approved the naming of a small north section of Falls Avenue running between John and Bender Streets. Council unanimously endorsed the…
On June 30 I posted about one of Blondin’s trips across the gorge. The Nashua Telegraph has some more detailed information (more than the blurb I put below): Dressed in pink tights and a yellow tunic, world-class funambulist Jean-Francois Gravelet (better known as The Great Blondin due to his fair hair) became the first person…
According to the Minneapolis – St. Paul Star Tribune, on this day in 1859… French acrobat Charles Blondin (born Jean Francois Gravelet) walked back and forth on a tightrope above the gorge of Niagara Falls as thousands of spectators watched.