1902 Niagara Falls Souvenir Book Photos

This souvenir book, titled simply "Niagara", was issued more than a century ago, in 1902. It contains 24 pages made of paper resembling construction paper. Each page has a print attached on one side, and is blank on the back. Other than the copyright info on the inside of the cover, there is not a word of text in the book. Most, if not all, of the photos were widely used on postcards and in other souvenir booklets over an extended number of years, so it's difficult to say exactly when the photos were actually taken. Suffice to say they were taken prior to 1903. Shown below are all 24 photos, plus the cover and the copyright info. Enjoy!



The cover. I cropped the ragged edges off this image so as to emphasize the artwork.



The copyright info for anyone whose interested. From the inside of the front cover.



Page 1: The American Falls, from Goat Island.



Page 2: The American Falls, left, and The Horseshoe Falls, right.



Page 3: Visitors to Prospect Point get a close look at The American Falls, left, with The Horseshoe Falls in the distance, right rear.



Page 4: The view from the base of The American Falls.



Page 5: The brink of The American Falls.



Page 6: The stone bridge over the American rapids. Photo taken from Goat Island, looking back at the American mainland. I believe the large white building on the right is the Cataract House and the building to the left of it is the International Hotel. To the far left of the photo, in the middle of the rapids, is an object I haven't yet identified. Anyone know what it is?



Page 7: The American Falls with the Upper Steel Arch Bridge in the background. In January 1938 the area was struck by a severe ice storm, causing an enormous amount of ice to build up against the bridge's abutments, which were located close the river. The tremendous pressure exerted by the ice caused the bridge to collapse on January 27, 1938. Today, its successor, the Rainbow Bridge, stands about 500 feet to the north.



Page 8: The American Falls, left, with the old Maid Of The Mist tour boat heading toward The Horseshoe Falls, background right.



Page 9: The Cave Of The Winds at the base of the Falls.



Page 10: The ice bridge at the base of The American Falls. This was a popular winter attraction until 1912, when 3 people were trapped on an ice floe when the ice bridge suddenly broke apart. Mr. & Mrs. Eldridge Stanton and Burrell Hecock were swept to their deaths in the rapids downriver, despite efforts to rescue them. Authorities responded to this tragic event by prohibiting any future activities on the ice bridge.



Page 11: The Horseshoe Falls, as seen from Goat Island. Note the sightseers on the foot bridge leading to the brink of the Falls.



Page 12: The Three Sisters Islands, accessible by foot bridge from Goat Island.



Page 13: Visitors enjoy a day on the ice bridge at the base of The American Falls.



Page 14: The American Falls, as seen from Canada. For an interesting story relating to the tower seen at the left of the Falls in this photo, click on this link.



Page 15: The dynamos at the Niagara Falls Power Plant



Page 16: Visitors at the brink of the Falls.



Page 17: The Horseshoe Falls, as seen from the Canadian Side.



Page 18: The Falls in winter.



Page 19: The rapids above the American Falls.



Page 20: The view from Table Rock, at the base of the Horseshoe Falls.



Page 21: The Whirlpool Rapids. The Lower Steel Arch Bridge is in the background with the Railway Cantilever Bridge behind that.



Page 22: The Whirlpool.



Page 23: The Niagara Gorge, with the Whirlpool in the foreground, looking north toward Lewiston, NY. Canada is to the left, the U.S. is to the right.



Page 24: A train travels along the Great Gorge Route on the American side of the river. The tracks ran from near the Falls down to the Lewiston area. The giant upright rock near the train was sometimes known as "The Sentinel".