Souvenir Art in Niagara Falls

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About the Collection

The group members for our final project are Nikki Singh, Piper Valdock and Sara Fellman. Our exhibit focuses on Tourism in Niagara during the late 19th century to mid 20th century, including the writing and souvenir art associated. Our initial interest stemmed from learning about how the Haudenosaunee were granted permission to sell souvenirs along Niagara Falls, mainly consistent art and beadwork. Typically, it was women who had set up shop, which piqued an interest in us three ladies, as well as the fact that Piper has lineage. However, when we went to dig deeper in the archives, there were hardly any artifacts of this souvenir art we had heard about. Perhaps a reflection of how women, especially Native are respected in the history of visual culture. Most of our artifacts presented were created by locals, advertising tourist attractions, journals kept by tourists and newsletters. Included are also poems, letters and photographs.

The first piece presented is a photograph titled, “General View of Niagara falls,” which is dated to August 1893. The composition includes Horseshoe falls, the Canadian shore as well as Goat and Luna Island. This is particularly exciting because photography was a really important invention during the 19th century, especially its contribution to tourism. As the camera became more accessible, the consumer-friendly Kodak was a handy tool tourists could take around with them on their travels to document their trip.

The second image is a poster from 1851 promoting citizens and tourists to see the attraction: The Maid of the Mist, which debuted in 1846. As Niagara Falls continued to be a major tourist and honeymoon spot, the falls became an asset to the local economy. Attractions such as ferry rides in the river and tours along the falls were an important aspect of Niagara’s growth in popularity and local income.

Another image we’ve included is that of a poem, titled, “To Niagara,” by J.S Buckingham in 1838. The purpose of the poem was to account for his first visit to the falls; he marvels at its natural beauty in the poem. He meant to capture his first experience there, like a literary picture. Literature was also very important during the 19th century, throughout our exhibit we feature different forms of writing. As this was before the internet, folks were only able to really learn about exciting places through poems, news articles and journals. Alongside this poem, we’ve also included articles written by tourists who found the falls both fun and beautiful, journals documenting the things one may have seen, experienced, eaten, etc.

Overall, our exhibit really focuses on what made Niagara Falls the tourist spot it remains today. Even today we see the effects of how the visual culture surrounding Niagara Falls evolutionized into what it is now, to this day Niagara Falls is a honeymoon location. It’s notoriety at one of the original American tourist spots contributes to its continuing success today.

Works Cited Cronin. K. Souvenir Art. October 5, 2021. Brock University