By Francesca Lungarotti
The art of the tightrope walker has its roots in history. The presence of ancient Roman frescoes depicting tightrope-walking fauns in Cicero’s Villa in Pompeii already takes us back in time to a profession and an art that lives in balance between fantasy and reality, given its enormous risk.
The challenge of not only maintaining balance, but also of being able to travel long distances over dizzying heights, arousing the amazement and admiration of many, is closely linked to man’s desire to challenge the heavens to achieve fame on earth.
Niagara Falls has attracted daredevils from around the world for nearly two hundred years. The pure danger of the 200-foot drop and rushing water cascading at 32 feet per second, powered with 280 tons of force, are just a few of the reasons why many stunters have flocked to this destination to perform death-defying stunts. The incalculable gusts of wind, the humidity, and the cold made this destination for tightrope walkers one of the most complex in the world.
Jean-Francois Gravelet, also known as Charles Blondin was the first one to cross Niagara Falls on a tightrope, doing so on June 30, 1859. He had done numerous stunts, but this was clearly his biggest one. Blondin always prepared well for his acts, and he created awareness about the act before the actual performance. He contacted the Niagara Falls Gazette which carried the news of the daredevil performing the tightrope walk. Soon, other newspapers too became aware about the stunt and the news spread like wildfire.
On the day of the stunt, thousands of people gathered to watch him perform the risky act. Blondin walked on a 1,100-foot-long cable, with a balancing pole. He crossed the gorge at a height of about 160 feet. While the cable had a steep climb at both ends, it sagged at the center. There was no safety equipment in case he plunged into the Niagara River, making the stunt even more dangerous.
Check out our gallery of images above of Blondin and other daredevils who accomplished this same feat in the years following Blondin’s crossing: Clifford Calverley, Samuel John ” Daring” Dixon, William Leonard Hunt (aka “The Great Farini”), Stephen Peer, and the Italian Maria Spelterini, who remains today the only woman to have ever walked across Niagara on a tightrope.
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Sources:
The Art and Science of Tightrope Walking: A Tribute to Philippe Petit — Science of Falling
Tightrope Walkers – Niagara Falls Public Library
Niagara Falls Daredevils | Nik Wallenda, Bobby Leach & More | Niagara Falls USA
The First Person to Tightrope Walk Across Niagara Falls | Blog