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The "Great Blondin", the tightrope walker...



Item # 592359

August 26, 1859

NEW YORK TIMES, Aug. 26, 1859 

* Charles Blondin, the Niagara Falls tightrope walker
* w/ stove, cooks omelet


The back page has a one-quarter column article headed: "Blondin Crosses the Niagara River with a Cook-Stove, and Cooks an Omelet", being a very detailed account of the "Great Blondin", the famous tightrope walker, and one of his several extraordinary exhibitions at the Niagara River. Blondin was the sensation of the day and remains the person others are compared to when exhibitions of tightrope walking are done anywhere in the world today.
The article relates the curiosity of his exhibition while noting that interest and the size of the crowd were diminished in comparison to his other exhibitions at the same venue. Bits of the article include: "...Blondin first crossed from the American to the Canadian shore in manacles: a collar about his neck--a chain  pendant to his arms--and two others from his wrists to his ankles...The return performance was the most interesting. After a stay of 15 or 20 minutes upon the Canadian shore, he started back with a cook stove swung upon his back...It was a goodly-sized, properly-fashioned cooking stove...Arrived at the centre of the rope Blondin...proceeded with nonchalance to make preparations for a 'camping'....built his fire...he produced his eggs,...the omelet was prepared..." with more (see photos).
Complete in 8 pages and in excellent condition.

Category: Pre-Civil War