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OFFICIAL BLOG OF NIAGARA FALLS TOURISM |
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NIAGARA FALLS FUNAMBULISTS
By George Bailey
2009-06-19 16:26:07
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June reminds me of the "Great Blondin-Jean Francois Gravelet", Niagara’s first Funambulist. Okay, what’s a Funambulist? It’s a tightrope walker. And it was in June 30, 1859 that Blondin first walked successfully across the Niagara Gorge on a two-inch manila rope from the U.S. side to Canada in 15 minutes. He made the return trip in seven minutes. He made the trip several times. On a trip in August 1959, he even successfully carried his manager, Harry Colcord on his back above the Niagara River.
Between 1859 and 1897 nine different walkers used a tightrope to successfully cross the gorge and one even rode a bicycle-velocipede. Today, it is illegal to cross over the Niagara River on a tightrope without the permission of the American and Canadian Park Commissions. My late friend, Niagara historian George Seibel in his book "Niagara Falls, Canada – A History" tells of these early Niagara Funambulists.
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Photos by George Bailey...
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