Perhaps the most remarkable fact about Jean François Gravelet, who performed under the pseudonym “Charles Blondin,” is that he lived to be 73 years old and died in his bed. This occurred at the end of a lifetime of death-defying acrobatics.
Blondin: A Child Enthralled by Balancing Acts
Born in Omer, France, Gravelet as a child was mesmerized by a circus tightrope walker who performed in his hometown. This, he decided, was his calling in life.
Encouraged by his father, a gymnast, Gravelet strung a crude tightrope in their yard and began practicing. Recognizing his adroitness, the parent packed him away to Lyons to learn gymnastics. In 1829, at age 5, “The Little Wonder,” as he first was known, began performing publicly.
Four years later his father died. Gravelet took to professional show business in order to earn a living. By all accounts, he became one of the best acrobats and showmen who ever lived.
Blondin Takes on the Falls
Touring the United States with a circus, Gravelet (by then “Blondin” - having taken his performance name from his remarkable blond hair) first saw Niagara Falls in 1858. He perceived it as a personal challenge. He furthermore understood the monetary value of the public’s morbid curiosity to see a daredevil die.
The following year, he had a 1,200-foot rope tightened across the gorge below the great cascade, an estimated 190 feet above the tumultuous river surface. As many as 10,000 people are said to have turned out for the spectacle.
To everyone’s amazement, the smallish, wiry, 35-year-old athlete succeeded with his unprecedented stunt. After a half-hour of rest and refreshment, he returned on the rope to the opposite bank. One newspaper editor summarized the sentiments of all, marveling at Blondin’s “utter lack of fear.” The Frenchman became an instant, international sensation.
In coming months, he repeated the achievement with incredible variations. Blondin seemed to believe he literally could soar above Niagara Falls. He enjoyed grasping the rope and swinging around it, and doing forward and backward somersaults. He is credited as the first acrobat to cross the falls on a tightrope:
- backward
- blindfolded
- at night
- pushing a wheelbarrow
- on stilts
- with a passenger on his back
- while dining at a table and chair.
The latter stunt technically was a failure. He lost his balance, and the table and chair fell into the abyss. Blondin, however, caught onto the cable and sat down to eat a piece of cake he’d retrieved.
Audiences were awestruck to the point of nausea by the tension Blondin created. Many looked away, afraid of what might happen to him. Yet, they returned again and again for his next advertised exploit. The Prince of Wales, after witnessing one of the preposterous crossings, reportedly demanded that Blondin desist with future demonstrations.
The performer politely declined. He had found the endeavor that would bring him lasting fame worldwide - and fortune.
The Acrobat’s Later Life
The risks he took made Blondin a very wealthy man. During his peak years, he realized incomes of almost half a million dollars - fantastic sums for the times.
Blondin semiretired and settled with his family not far from the falls. They later moved to England. He couldn’t resist offers to continue exhibiting his skills and daring, however.
He gave his final performance in Belfast, Northern Ireland, at age 72. The master showman died the next year in Ealing, near London, of diabetes.
SOURCES
Graham, Lloyd. “ Blondin the Hero of Niagara.” American Heritage (August 1958).
McFarland, Kevin. Incredible! Signet/New American Library (1976).
Daniel Harmon - Author of more than 70 books, mainly grade-level educational works for the library market. Topics include histories, biographies, ...
