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" .css-j9qmi7{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webkit-flex-direction:row;-ms-flex-direction:row;flex-direction:row;font-weight:700;margin-bottom:1rem;margin-top:2.8rem;width:100%;-webkit-box-pack:start;-ms-flex-pack:start;-webkit-justify-content:start;justify-content:start;padding-left:5rem;}@media only screen and (max-width: 599px){.css-j9qmi7{padding-left:0;-webkit-box-pack:center;-ms-flex-pack:center;-webkit-justify-content:center;justify-content:center;}}.css-j9qmi7 svg{fill:#27292D;}.css-j9qmi7 .eagfbvw0{-webkit-align-items:center;-webkit-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-items:center;color:#27292D;}