In 1895 a man named Dixon decided to take his tightrope walking to the next level. This 1890s daredevil crossed the Niagara River under the Great Cantilever Bridge. George Barker from Underwood & Underwood photography captured the moment, and the Library and Archives Canada digitized it.
Tightrope walking was made popular by Charles Blondin (1824-1897), who is considered to be the first tightrope walker. In 1896, a year after Dixon’s photo was taken, Blondin was not to be out done. At the age of 71 he crossed the Waterloo Lake in Roundhay Park Leeds several times. Once blindfolded, and once stopping midway to cook and eat an omelette!
Source: “Dixon crossing Niagara River” (1895) by George Barker, Underwood & Underwood. Credit to Library and Archives Canada, Creative Commons CC BY 2.0.