The Blondin Archive

Traces of a Legend

This archive brings together original documents and eyewitness accounts from Blondin’s extraordinary life and career. From marriage records and newspaper reports to vivid personal recollections, these materials reveal how he was seen in his own time, as daring, remarkable, and unforgettable.

Birth and marriage certificates

Birth certificate of Jean François Gravelet
Departmental archives of Pas-de-Calais / Civil registry / Hesdin – Georges-Besnier Centre
50 MIR 447/7 Births 1794–1834
Record no. 17

Translated from the original French birth record.

On the twenty-ninth of February, eighteen hundred and twenty-four, at ten o’clock in the morning, before us, Liévin Prévost, Mayor, public officer of the Civil Registry of the town of Hesdin, District of Montreuil, Department of Pas-de-Calais, appeared André Gravelet, rope-leaper and rope-dancer, aged thirty-four years, residing in Saint-Maixant, Department of Deux-Sèvres, who presented to us a male child, born yesterday at eight o’clock in the evening, of him, the declarant, and of Eulalie Merlet, his wife, aged thirty years, and to whom he declared he was giving the forenames Jean François.

The said declarations and presentation were made in the presence of Gaspard Blancart, aged seventy-four years, woodworker, and Joseph Blancart, innkeeper, aged twenty-five years, both residing in this town.

And the said Gravelet has signed this act with us, the said Blancarts having declared they do not know how to sign, upon being asked after the reading.

Signatures: Prévost and André Gravelet

Referenced in: Jean-Louis Brenac's Biography, Volume I, Page 8

View/download: Original French birth record

Acte de naissance de Jean François Gravelet

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Marriage certificate of Jean François Gravelet and Marie Blancheri

Departmental archives of Bouches-du-Rhône / Tarascon / Civil registry / Marriages

Pages 35a, 35b and 36a of the Tarascon marriage register (Bouches-du-Rhône) for the year 1846

Translated from the original French marriage certificate.

Certificate No. 37 – Gravelet Jean François and Blancheri Marie

In the year eighteen hundred and forty-six, on the sixth of August at three o’clock in the afternoon, before us, Jean Baptiste Dupuy, assistant to the mayor, delegated to perform the duties of civil registrar for the town of Tarascon-sur-Rhône by order of the mayor dated the twenty-second of December eighteen hundred and forty-three, there appeared at the town hall, for the purpose of contracting marriage, Mr Jean François Gravelet, acrobat, aged twenty-two, born in Hesdin (Pas-de-Calais) on the twenty-eighth of February eighteen hundred and twenty-four, as is shown by the extract, duly issued from the civil status registers of the said town, which we have initialled ne varietur and annexed to this present document, residing in this town, adult and legitimate son of André Gravelet, ..., deceased in Castres on the third of April eighteen hundred and thirty-seven, as is shown by the extract in due form, issued by the clerk of the civil court of Castres, which we have initialled ne varietur and annexed to the present document, and of the living Eulalie Merlet, without profession, aged fifty-two, residing with her son, present here and consenting, of the one part;

And Mademoiselle Marie Blancheri, acrobat, aged twenty-two years, born in Toulouse on the twenty-eighth of June eighteen hundred and twenty-four, as evidenced by an extract in due form from the registers of the civil registry of the said town, which we have initialled ne varietur and annexed to this certificate, residing in this town, adult and legitimate daughter of Charles Blancheri, shoemaker, aged fifty-five years, and Suzanne Larre, without profession, aged forty-nine years, residing in Marseille, absent and consenting, as evidenced by a deed received by Maître [Name of notary] and his colleague, notaries in Marseille, on the twenty-first of July eighteen hundred and forty-six, which deed having been presented to us, remains annexed to the present certificate, of the second part;

The parties having requested us to proceed with the celebration of the intended marriage, and the publications having been made and posted at the main entrances of our town hall on the Sundays of the fifth and twelfth of last July at noon, with no opposition to said marriage having been notified to us, we granted their request. After reading all the above-mentioned documents and chapter six of the title of the Civil Code entitled “On Marriage”, we asked the future husband and the future wife if they wished to take each other as husband and wife. Each having answered separately and affirmatively, we declared, in the name of the law, that Jean François Gravelet and Marie Blancheri are united in marriage.

Whereupon, in the presence of Messrs Benoit Gérard, town crier, aged forty-nine years; Guillaume Didier, town trumpeter, aged forty years; Jacques Firsisme, police officer, aged sixty-four years; and [First name] Thiers, goldsmith, aged forty years, all four residing in Tarascon, who declared that they are not related to either party;

And at the same moment, the said spouses declared to us that a male child had been born to them, registered in the civil registry of Vauvert (Gard) under the names Aimé Léopold and dated the ninth of last June, whom they acknowledge and legitimise as their son by effect of the present marriage.

This certificate has been read by us to the parties and witnesses, who have signed with us.

Signatures:
Gravelet; Ve Gravelet; Gme Didier; Blancheri; Gerard; JB Dupuy, deputy; Jacques

Referenced in: Jean-Louis Brenac's Biography, Volume I, Page 12

Marriages recorded in the City of Boston during the year 1852

Record No.: 1653
Names of the groom and bride:
John F. Gravelet and Charlotte S. Lawrence
Place of residence at the time of marriage:
Both residing in Boston
Age:
28 and 16
Occupation of the groom:
Artist
Place of birth:
He in France; she in New York
Names of parents:
Louis A.; Alexander
Marriage, whether 1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc.:
First
Name and official title of the person who married them:
Reverend Edward T. Taylor, Boston
Date of record:
September 10, 1852
Marriage record of J.F. Gravelet & C.S. Lawrence

The certified copy of this marriage record was obtained from the General Register Office (UK)

Marriage solemnised at the Register Office in the District of Marylebone in the County of Middlesex
N° 182

  • When married: Twenty ninth October 1881
  • Name and surname: Jean Francois Gravelet
    • Age: 57 years
    • Condition: Widower
    • Rank or Profession: Gentleman
    • Residence at the time of marriage: 6 Boscobel Place
    • Father's name and surname: Louis Andre Gravelet, deceased
    • Rank or Profession of father: Artist
  • Name and surname: Charlotte Lawrence
    • Age: 44 years
    • Condition: Spinster
    • Rank or Profession:
    • Residence at the time of marriage: 6 Boscobel Place
    • Father's name and surname: John Lawrence, deceased
    • Rank or Profession of father: Gentleman
  • Married in the Register Office, by Licence, before me, Frank Stokes, Registrar
  • This marriage was solemnised between us: Jean Francois Gravelet, Charlotte Lawrence
  • In the presence of us: J. U. de Parraviani and H. W. Drewell; Joseph Redford, Superintendent Registrar

Referenced in: Jean-Louis Brenac's Biography, Volume IV, Page 66

Certified copy of the Marriage certificate of Jean François Gravelet and Charlotte Lawrence

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Marriage of Jean François Gravelet and Katherine James

On 29 November 1895, at the Register Office in Brentford, County of Middlesex, the marriage was celebrated between Jean François GRAVELET, aged 71, widower, acrobat, residing at Niagara House, Little Ealing, son of Louis André GRAVELET (deceased), acrobat, and Katherine JAMES, aged 30, unmarried, residing at Niagara House, Little Ealing, daughter of Joseph Edward JAMES (deceased), men's tailor.

Referenced in: Jean-Louis Brenac's Biography, Volume IV, Page 116

Certified copy of the Marriage certificate of Jean François Gravelet and Katherine James

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PDF, 1 page, 198 KB

Newspaper or magazine articles

This piece appeared in the local Lyon newspaper Le Censeur.

Yesterday, Sunday, the various performances that had taken place for some time at the Hippodrome des Brotteaux ended in a dreadful catastrophe.

A magical tableau of Napoleon receiving his son in Elysium was to close the evening. A chariot carrying two figures, one representing Napoleon, the other the Empress Josephine, appeared to be drawn by two spirits (the Gravelet brothers). This chariot, pulled by a rope operated by a machine, rolled along two parallel ropes spaced apart by additional transverse cords. These two main ropes were anchored at one end to the ground and at the other to a mast thirty metres high. At the top of the mast was a throne on which Napoleon was to sit. This scene was to be illuminated by fireworks.

Just as the chariot was about to reach its goal, the person representing Napoleon, who since the start of the ascent had repeatedly shown signs of fear, although he had shown none during the previous day’s rehearsals, tried to leap in one bound across the space separating him from the throne. Whether the chariot jolted as it crossed one of the transverse cords, or whether fear paralysed the actor’s movements, he made a misstep. In falling, he broke the shaft of the chariot, and the vehicle turned.

This person, formerly a waiter at the Rotonde and at that time a silk worker, died instantly. All efforts to revive him were in vain. He had fallen from a height of fifty-five feet. The young woman accompanying him was thrown backwards from the chariot. By a providential stroke of luck, her feet remained caught in the cords, and she stayed suspended at a terrifying height for five minutes. Eventually she was able to grasp a rope, by which she descended without further injury. The Gravelet brothers also faced the greatest danger. We shall not attempt to describe the anguish that gripped the crowd.

Referenced in: Jean-Louis Brenac's Biography, Volume I, Page 13

On 29th June 1861, Charles Dickens recounts the performance given by Blondin at the Crystal Palace. This long article, entitled "Old Rome of Crystal", was published in the column All the Year Round, Volume 5, a daily chronicle issued under Dickens's direction. Some articles were written by Dickens himself, others were not. It is therefore uncertain whether this one is his work or that of Eliza Lynn Linton, an essayist of the time.

Referenced in: Jean-Louis Brenac’s Biography, Volume II, Page 13

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PDF, 5 pages, 964KB

The memoirs appeared in Le Petit Moniteur Universel newspaper as a daily serial in nineteen chapters, starting January 2 and running until January 24, 1878, under the pseudonym Funambulus.

Summary: In this vivid and theatrical memoir, Jean-François Gravelé—later known to the world as Blondin—traces his extraordinary beginnings in a family of travelling performers. Born in 1824 in Hesdin, he was walking unaided at six months and performing feats of balance before he could speak fluently. Nicknamed “Petit Jean,” he astonished even his own siblings with his instinctive agility, mastering tightrope skills without instruction. His stage debut came at the age of three, and by four he was leaping over horses and climbing masts with the grace of a seasoned acrobat. These formative years, spent among saltimbanques and showmen across France and Italy, shaped the fearless genius who would one day conquer Niagara on a wire.

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Source paper: New York Mercury (via the New Era), United States, dated 22 January 1885

Summary:The story recounts a traveler’s later memory of witnessing Blondin performing a daring routine while walking along the Mississippi, pushing a wheelbarrow with a baby aboard. At one point he became trapped at a knot on the rope and nearly fell.

Referenced in: Jean-Louis Brenac's Biography, Volume I, Page 30

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PDF, 2 pages, 291KB

Publication of An Interview with Blondin in Cassell’s Family Magazine, one of the leading British monthly magazines, founded in 1853 and with a circulation of 70,000 copies. This issue features a major illustrated article by journalist W. B. Robertson, paying tribute to the artist who had delighted audiences for 35 years. Blondin, who had great trust in him, met him in Little Ealing just a few days after returning from Leeds, where he had given his final performance. During this visit, Robertson was deeply moved to discover that his friend was suffering from a painful and rapidly progressing terminal illness.

Referenced in: Jean-Louis Brenac's Biography, Volume IV, Page 121

On August 12, 1888 the New York Tribune published a half-page interview—remarkable for its freedom of tone, still unknown in the Old World and of great interest. The interview, which Blondin had granted to its journalist, Isidor Lewi, took place a few days before Blondin left for New York, with his son, to visit Niagara.

Summary: At 65, Blondin was still walking the rope, though the fame had faded. “For ze gloire, j’en ai assez!” he said. In this interview, he recalls daring feats, a lifetime of balance, and a quiet discipline that kept him strong.

At 65, Blondin was still performing on the tightrope, though the crowds had diminished and his appetite for glory had faded. “If zay would pay me I would cross Niagara again, but for ze gloire, j’en ai assez!” he told a reporter, reflecting on the shift from fame to financial necessity. The interview paints a vivid contrast between Blondin the heroic figure aloft, balanced and unflinching, and the more ordinary man seen on the ground. He shared memories of past feats, including the dangers of balancing a chair, the hazards of snow in St Petersburg, and being refused permission to perform in Rome until the Pope intervened. Blondin maintained that his abilities had not waned with age, attributing his vigour to simple living, discipline and abstaining from stimulants. He also recalled his first tentative steps on a rope as a four-year-old boy—an act of instinctive bravery that marked the beginning of an extraordinary career.

Referenced in: Jean-Louis Brenac's Biography, Volume IV, Page 95

Anecdotes

From The Soldiers’ Journal, 22nd June 1864

A gentleman just returned from Washington relates the following incident that took place at the White House the other day. Some visitors from the West, agitated and troubled by what they saw as the missteps of the Administration, expressed their concerns to the President. Mr Lincoln listened patiently, then replied:

“Gentlemen, suppose all the property you owned were in gold, and you had placed it in the hands of Blondin to carry across the Niagara River on a rope — would you begin to shake the cable, or shout at him, ‘Blondin, stand up a little straighter! Blondin, lean a little more this way or that! Go a little faster!’?

No. You would hold your breath, as well as your tongue, and keep your hands off until he was safely over.

The Government is carrying an immense weight. Untold treasures are in its care. They are doing the very best they can. Don’t badger. Keep silent — and we will get you safely across.”

Texts & Excerpts

Summary: In this vivid and admiring article, celebrated French writer Théophile Gautier describes watching Blondin perform on a high wire at Vincennes in 1866. From the first costumed appearance to blindfolded stunts and acrobatic poses atop a chair, Gautier captures the gasps, suspense and admiration of the Parisian crowd. He calls Blondin a true artist whose grace and nerve set him apart — a man who risks everything with every step.

Referenced in: Jean-Louis Brenac's Biography, Volume II, Page 96

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In July 1867, the 32-year-old Mark Twain — later famed for The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876) and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1885) — is in Paris at the start of a five-and-a-half-month pilgrimage to the Holy Land, commissioned by the Alta California newspaper. His journey, reported also in the New York Times and Herald Tribune, takes him via Paris, Constantinople, Sevastopol, Smyrna, Syria, Egypt and Jerusalem. Having boarded the Quaker City on June 8, Twain is now exploring Parisian nightlife with his friend Dan and their escort Ferguson. On the evening of 4 July 1867, they attend a Blondin performance at the Parc Cremorne in Asnières. There, they watche Blondin perform a night-time tightrope act lit by fireworks, and later witnesses the can-can for the first time. Twain’s humorous and ironic observations turn the event into a vivid, lasting portrait of Parisian spectacle and society.

Referenced in: Jean-Louis Brenac's Biography, Volume II, Page 106

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Further Reading

Blondin

by Jean-Louis Brenac

Tightrope walker, showman, enigma, Blondin’s true story has long been clouded by myth. Jean-Louis Brenac, his great-great-grandson, unveils the real Blondin in a monumental four-volume biography, the result of years of investigation, discovery and devotion. French-language version available to download.

View the biographies