General view of Niagara 1914.tif-6a11467u

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Niagara Falls in 1914 is the subject here, and this view shows the cataracts and the gorge from a broad vantage that reveals how the river drops toward the lower rapids. By that date the falls had been a major tourist destination for well over a century, and the American side had been placed under state management in the late 1880s, which helped preserve the surrounding park lands. Scenes like this one were widely reproduced in the early twentieth century, when rail travel and new photographic processes brought the gorge to a national audience. The record offers few further details, so the picture is best read as a snapshot of a landmark already famous for its power and its visitors.

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