Tight Rope Collection

Flea Circus
An advertisement for Professor Likontis wonderful Roumanian Fea Circus

Female Blondin / Tightrope
Madame Genevieve Young, the Female Blondin crosses the Thames between Battersea and Cremorne

Tightrope Cycling Act
A German husband and wife team perform a dramatic tightrope cycling act

ABRAHAM LINCOLN. An 1860 American cartoon comparing presidential candidate Abraham Lincoln to Charles Blondin, the French acrobat who crossed Niagara Falls on a tightrope ealier that year

Blondin Audience Ledger
A fascinating unused page from a ledger to record the ticket sales and money accrued from a performance of the legendary tightrop walker Charles Blondin The Hero of Niagara

Female Tightrope Walker
A French woman tightrope walker in showy garb

crossing
Ivan Marlianto

A tight-rope walker, photographed at Bentalls Circus. 1st December 1932

Actor Michael Crawford works out on the high wire with a charlady sweeping the floor. 8th April 1981

Actor Michael Crawford works out on the high wire. 8th April 1981

Descent of Madame Saqui, surrounded by fireworks, published by Thomas Kelly (fl. 1820-55) London, 1822 (aquatint)
GHL32141 Descent of Madame Saqui, surrounded by fireworks, published by Thomas Kelly (fl.1820-55) London, 1822 (aquatint) by English School, (19th century); London Metropolitan Archives

Poster advertising the Sells-Floto Circus, 1920 (colour litho)
PNP314795 Poster advertising the Sells-Floto Circus, 1920 (colour litho) by American School, (20th century); Private Collection; (add.info)

Tight-Rope Walker, c. 1885 (oil on canvas)
2968175 Tight-Rope Walker, c.1885 (oil on canvas) by Forain, Jean Louis (1852-1931); 46.2x38.2 cm; The Art Institute of Chicago, IL, USA; Gift of Mrs. Emily Crane Chadbourne; French, out of copyright

Programme of the grand Fete and Bazaar in aid of the Female School of Art (engraving)
585974 Programme of the grand Fete and Bazaar in aid of the Female School of Art (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info)

Scenes at the Araby Athletic Meeting and Sports, Dublin (engraving)
1064535 Scenes at the Araby Athletic Meeting and Sports, Dublin (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Scenes at the Araby Athletic Meeting and Sports, Dublin)

High-wire artiste (colour litho)
5198430 High-wire artiste (colour litho) by Garnier, Jules Arsene (1847-89) (after); Private Collection; (add.info.: High-wire artiste)

Blondin crossing the Arno on a Tight-Rope at Florence for the Benefit of the Sufferers from the Cholera (engraving)
1045714 Blondin crossing the Arno on a Tight-Rope at Florence for the Benefit of the Sufferers from the Cholera (engraving) by English School

The Augmentative Y, illustration from The Struwwelpeter Alphabet
779956 The Augmentative Y, illustration from The Struwwelpeter Alphabet, verse by Harold Begbie (1871-1929) (colour litho) by Gould

Poster advertising the Great Wallendas at the Ringling Bros
PNP312795 Poster advertising the Great Wallendas at the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus (colour litho) by American School

The Female Blondin crossing the Thames from Battersea to Cremorne on a Tight Rope (engraving)
1619709 The Female Blondin crossing the Thames from Battersea to Cremorne on a Tight Rope (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info)

wired
Saso N. Alusevski

The circus
Victoria Glinka

The acrobat
Alessandro L. Rocchi

Silly Walk
Greetje van Son

Bertram Mills tightrope act. 18th December 1958

THEATRE ACCIDENT, 1860. Dancer Josephine Farren, who caught on fire while performing on the tightrope at the Volks Garten, Bowery, New York. American newspaper engraving, 1860

NIAGARA FALLS. Dixon crossing Niagara below the Great Cantilever Bridge: stereograph, 1895

Young lady shortly fails to walk the tightrope
A young lady reads out a learned treatise upon tight-rope walking in a circus rather than actually performing on the high wire herself! Date: 1923

Satire of Dr Rock, c. 1740 (engraving)
XJF701477 Satire of Dr Rock, c.1740 (engraving) by Shaftoe, William (fl.1730-40); Private Collection; (add.info.: Richard Rock (c.1690a'1777) was a well known quack doctor in 18th century London

Mdlle. Spelterini Crossing the Niagara River on a Tight Rope, the Niagara River
MDLLE. SPELTERINI CROSSING THE NIAGARA RIVER ON A TIGHT ROPE, The Niagara River is a river that flows north from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario

A performing dog on a wire

Mdlle. Spelterini Crossing the Niagara River on a Tight Rope, the Niagara River
MDLLE. SPELTERINI CROSSING THE NIAGARA RIVER ON A TIGHT ROPE, The Niagara River is a river that flows north from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario

The tight rope walker

Scroll painting, Ukiyo-e school, 18th-19th century
JAPAN: ACROBATS. Scroll painting, Ukiyo-e school, 18th-19th century

American cartoon of 1861, shortly after the Confederate attack on Fort Sumter
JEFFERSON DAVIS CARTOON. American cartoon of 1861, shortly after the Confederate attack on Fort Sumter, depicting Jefferson Davis as a circus acrobat in a delicate balancing act

CIRCUS: COVENT GARDEN. The circus at Covent Garden Theatre, London, England. Line engraving, 1886

ACROBATS: MADAME SAQUI. The celebrated performer on the tightrope at Vauxhaull, England. Stipple engraving, 1820, after a painting by Hutchinson of Bath

CIRCUS PERFORMER. Ella Zuila, an Australian tightrope performer, breaks a treadle of her velocipede during a performance at Tony Pastors Theatre in New York City. American newspaper engraving, 1879

ACROBAT, c1750. An English acrobat of the 18th century. Line engraving, 19th century

ENGLAND: ACROBAT, c1750. An English acrobat of the 18th century. Line engraving, 19th century

CIRCUS ACROBATS. Wood engraving, late 19th century

CHARLES BLONDIN (1824-1897). Assumed name of Jean Francois Gravelet. French tightrope walker. Blondin at the Crystal Palace, London, in 1861. Wood engraving from a contemporary English newspaper

Czar Nicholas II tightrope walking on a line between three rifles on shore and a sinking ship. Date 1904 or 1905

Tightrope performers at 4-H Club fair, Cimarron, Kansas. Date 1939 Aug

Blondin Portrait
CHARLES BLONDIN French tightrope walker, drawn during his visit to England. Date: 1824 - 1897

Tightrope Girl
Standing on a horizontal rope is not unduly easy, but female tightrope artiste Mickey stands on a vertical one and makes it look like a walk in the park! Date: 1940s

Niagara / Tightrope 1860
Tightrope expert Farina crosses the Niagara. Date: 1860

PHILIP MORRIS CIGARETTE AD. An advertisement for Philip Morris cigarettes that appeared in an American magazine, 1947

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Balancing acts and daring feats, the world of tightrope walking captivates audiences like a Flea Circus in motion. From the fearless Female Blondin to the mesmerizing Tightrope Cycling Act, these performers defy gravity with every step. Just as Abraham Lincoln was compared to Charles Blondin for his audacious presidential campaign, tightrope walkers embody courage and determination. Even actor Michael Crawford found himself drawn to the high wire, showcasing his own skills on April 8th, 1981. The Blondin Audience Ledger tells tales of gasps and applause that echoed through history. Whether it be a female tightrope walker at Bentalls Circus in 1932 or Madame Saqui gracefully descending amidst fireworks in London's skies in 1822, these artists inspire awe and admiration. As seen on posters advertising the Sells-Floto Circus in 1920, this thrilling spectacle continues to enthrall generations with its death-defying allure.