Francois Gravelet
Preserved but no longer current.
He began performing at the age of five and acquired considerable repute by his aerial tricks. His great feat, however, was performed in 1859 when he crossed the Niagara Falls on a tight-rope. This he did several times, embellishing the performance by wheeling a barrow, twirling an umbrella, etc. He made a fortune by this show, and soon after his return settled in England, where he gave performances until too old to do so.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Francois Gravelet” mean?
He began performing at the age of five and acquired considerable repute by his aerial tricks. His great feat, however, was performed in 1859 when he crossed the Niagara Falls on a tight-rope. This he did several times, embellishing the performance by wheeling a barrow, twirling an umbrella, etc. He made a fortune by this show, and soon after his return settled in England, where he gave performances until too old to do so.
Is “Francois Gravelet” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.