Glass plate stereoscopic view titled “Rope Ascension over Niagara River,” photographed and published by Platt D. Babbitt, Photographer, Niagara Falls, N.Y. The paired images capture a dramatic scene at Niagara Falls, showing an aerial rope line stretched across the upper rapids with a performer (often associated with the famed French tightrope walker Charles Blondin) hanging upside down on the rope above the turbulent water. The falls and mist are visible in the background on both sides of the river, framing the daredevil’s traverse. The format is a late 19th-century glass stereo transparency, intended for viewing through a stereoscope to produce a three-dimensional effect.

Platt D. Babbitt was a prominent Niagara Falls photographer in the 1860s and 1870s, known for documenting the natural landmark and the exhibitions and stunts staged there. Scenes of tightrope and rope ascension acts across the Niagara Gorge were popular attractions and were frequently recorded by local photographers for tourist audiences during this period.

The card’s title band above the stereo pair is printed with the scene title, and the photographer’s imprint appears on the mount. The plate exhibits the characteristic tonal range and depth of field of 19th-century wet plate glass photography. No additional identifying information about the performer or date is visible; the subject remains unidentified beyond what is printed on the card.