Walking the Tightrope

Tightrope walking has always been a circus staple. This vintage image of a tightrope walker looks straight out of a classic movie. We can feel the tension and excitement coming through this photo. Imagine being an audience member during this performance. The tightrope performer walks onto the rope, dozens of feet above the ground. Everyone in the audience is waiting with bated breath. 

Will he make it? Of course he will, because he’s a professional. But there’s always the risk that he might not. It’s wild to think that tightrope walkers were able to perform like this without any harnesses or safety nets in place. The circus during the early 1900s was a truly spectacular spectacle.