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…
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.