Niagara Falls and area is rich in both history and poetry. Join Andrew Porteus, retired librarian and historian, as he explores the history of Niagara Falls and area through its poetry. My mantra: if there isn't a poem about it, it didn't happen (although I may write a limerick about it to confirm that it did happen). This podcast is a component of the Niagara Falls Poetry Project at https://niagarapoetry.ca
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Niagara Falls and area is rich in both history and poetry. Join Andrew Porteus, retired librarian and historian, as he explores the history of Niagara Falls and area through its poetry. My mantra: if there isn't a poem about it, it didn't happen (although I may write a limerick about it to confirm that it did happen). This podcast is a component of the Niagara Falls Poetry Project at https://niagarapoetry.ca
Niagara History and Poetry Episode 4: Death and the Photographer: Joseph Avery and Platt Babbitt
Niagara History and Poetry
16 minutes 30 seconds
5 months ago
Niagara History and Poetry Episode 4: Death and the Photographer: Joseph Avery and Platt Babbitt
Joseph Avery and his two friends were rowing across the Niagara River Rapids in 1853, when the boat capsized. The two friends were swept to their deaths immediately, but Joseph Avery managed to hold on to a protruding tree trunk until the following day. Despite rescuer's efforts, they were not able to save him. Photographer Platt Babbitt captured an image of Avery that has become an iconic Niagara Falls photo. Their stories are told in both prose and poetry.
Credits:
Alexander Duringer. "Niagara Falls" https://niagarapoetry.ca/2025/03/15/d...
Platt Babbitt. "Joseph Avery stranded on rocks in the Niagara River" https://www.loc.gov/item/2004664370/
William Dean Howells. "Avery, 1853" https://niagarapoetry.ca/2017/01/25/a...
T.W. Kriner. "In the Mad Water" https://a.co/d/79HV3Ay
Penha, James "American Daguerreotypes: Ekphrastic Poems"
Niagara History and Poetry
Niagara Falls and area is rich in both history and poetry. Join Andrew Porteus, retired librarian and historian, as he explores the history of Niagara Falls and area through its poetry. My mantra: if there isn't a poem about it, it didn't happen (although I may write a limerick about it to confirm that it did happen). This podcast is a component of the Niagara Falls Poetry Project at https://niagarapoetry.ca
