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This photograph is one of two things. Either it’s another amazing piece of Photoshop trickery, or it’s an authentic capture of an extraordinary event. I’ve never been to the falls. Does anyone know if a frozen Niagara Falls is indeed possible?
via Old rare photo frozen Niagara Falls 1911 — PhotoshopTechniques Forums
Update: Here are some more pictures (courtesy of Black Paintings X)
Update 2: Here are some more pictures from The Hillman Stereoview Archive.
Update 3: If you like these photographs, check out the The Crystal Cave of Giants in Mexico
Update 4: Jim Retzer was kind enough to send me some screen caps of an 8mm film he found. Check them out here.
Update 5: These screen caps look a lot like Montmorency Falls to me. See this National Geographic photo from 1978 for a comparison.
Update 6: Here is some news footage of a 25 foot frozen waterfall in Estonia.
The Valaste waterfall on the north-east coast of Estonia is the highest in the country. At 25 metres high, the waterfall is a spectacular site in any season, but with recent weather conditions it has been transformed into a winter wonderland.
Update 7: Here are a few modern day photos of the falls. Not frozen, but close.
Update 8: You can check Snopes’ determination on the issue here. As of this update, they claim the myth is: undetermined.
Although it may seem astounding to contemplate, the tremendous volume of rushing water (hundreds of thousands of gallons per second) that is Niagara Falls does “freeze” from time to time, although not quite “completely” as suggested in the text accompanying the above-displayed image. (Despite the abundance of ice visible in the image, water can still be seen flowing over the falls in several distinct streams.) During occasional periods of prolonged cold weather falling water and spray from Niagara Falls may freeze into ice formations, and ice mounds or floes may form in the Niagara River (sometimes creating ice bridges that stretch across the width of the river), but only once in recorded history has freezing weather actually stopped water from flowing over the falls. This instance occurred in March 1848 when a preponderance of ice above the falls reduced the flow of water over the falls to a trickle, as reported in the Buffalo Express newspaper:
The Falls of Niagara can be compared to nothing but a mere mill dam this morning. In the memory of the oldest inhabitants, never was there so little water running over Niagara’s awful precipice, as at this moment! Hundreds of people are now witnessing that which never has, and probably never may again be witnessed on the Niagara River. Last night at 11 o’clock the factories fed from the waters of this majestic river were in full operation, and at 12 o’clock the water was shut off, the wheel suddenly ceased their revolutions, and everything was hushed into silence. Various are the conjectures as to the cause; the most reasonable of which is that Lake Erie must be making a grand delivery of ice, and this the mouth of the Niagara, although large, is not quite enough to take in the whole at once, and that the consequences are, back water.
would love to have pics of the the frozen falls sent to my email.this is spectacular
You might want to read some of the comments in this link, very interesting. And it has other photos dating it later and according to some it was cause by the plant and could be possibly done again. In other words nothing to do with the climate change etc.
http://digg.com/odd_stuff/AMAZING_Photo_from_1911_of_Niagara_Falls_FROZEN_OVER
Caption on Nat Geo picture says 1948.
Oops. Thats 1978
The clothes in the Natl geographic 1978 article look like they are from another era later than the clothes in the “1911” photos. Notice the ladies longer coats in 1911. men’s coats are different as well.
this is so woot woot!!!!!!
i was there all 3 times it froze, and there seems to be no pictures of this. if you can tell me what year that was in i will tell you and amazing story, one that should be told, i will show you pictures of things not many have seen from ages ago
i would like to hear your stories.
geraldo de oliveira
chicago
i would absolutely love to hear your story alfonce macdougal even more so i’d be very interested if you emailed me the photos you have of this. i love history and all historical photos. thank you
The freeze-up in 1911 was caused by massive ice jams at the exit of Lake Erie into the Niagara river at Buffalo. This, along with the cold caused the water to stop flowing, and what was there, froze. Not sure how long that lasted, but I don’t think it was longer than a day, if my rememberer for the history lesson in grade school over a half century ago is serving me well or not
those pics are soo cool thanks,