Subject: ‘Famous news stories’

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Hero of Niagara

Posted in America, Artist, Famous news stories, Historical articles, History, Theatre on Tuesday, 26 November 2019

This edited article about Blondin originally appeared in Look and Learn issue number 683 published on 15 February 1975.

Blondin, picture, image, illustration

Blondin (Francois Gravelet) pushes a wheelbarrow across a tightrope over Niagara Falls

Thousands of people stared fascinated at a rope stretched across Niagara Falls on 30th June, 1859. The rope was over a thousand feet long and a hundred and sixty feet above the roaring tumult of the river.

Suddenly the crowd froze with excitement. A man had started to walk along the rope from the American side. Half-way across, he lay down; then he proceeded to do a backwards somersault. He reached the far side and, as the cheers rang out, a band struck up the Marseillaise.

The tightrope walker started back to the American side carrying a chair. When he reached the middle of the rope, he balanced the chair on two legs and sat down on it.

The performer’s name was Blondin, and he was the greatest of all rope-walkers.

Over the centuries, the world of the circus and of acrobats has cast such a spell over so many people that it is surprising how few of its great performers are remembered by name. But there is no danger of Blondin being forgotten because, indoors as well as out, he took spectacular risks which caught the imagination of literally millions of people who never actually saw him perform.

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The best pictures from educational trade cards, 92

Posted in Africa, Ancient History, Archaeology, Architecture, Art, Arts and Crafts, Best pictures, Boats, Educational card, Famous news stories, Heroes and Heroines, Historical articles, History, Politics, Royalty on Thursday, 26 November 2015

We have selected three of the best pictures from our large collection of 19th and early 20th century educational trade cards.
The first picture shows the Marble junk at the Summer Palace in Peking.

Peking, picture, image, illustration

Marble junk at the Summer Palace in Peking

The second picture shows Victor Schoelcher bringing news of their freedom to the slaves of Martinique, c.1848.

abolition, picture, image, illustration

Victor Schoelcher bringing news of their freedom to the slaves of Martinique, c1848

The third picture shows Pompeii and the Temple of the God Apollo.

temple, picture, image, illustration

The Temple of the God Apollo at Pompeii

High-resolution scans of all educational cards can be found in the Look and Learn picture library.

The best pictures from educational trade cards, 80

Posted in Best pictures, Educational card, Famous crimes, Famous news stories, Heroes and Heroines, Historical articles, History, Leisure, Literature, News, Politics, Religion, Science, Weapons on Wednesday, 25 November 2015

We have selected three of the best pictures from our large collection of 19th and early 20th century educational trade cards.
The first picture shows Don Quixote.

Don Quixote, picture, image, illustration

Don Quixote

The second picture shows the Armenian Massacres, 1894-1896.

Armenian Massacres, picture, image, illustration

Armenian Massacres, 1894-1896

The third picture shows a novel illustration of the physics of Lightning.

Lightning, picture, image, illustration

Lightning

High-resolution scans of all educational cards can be found in the Look and Learn picture library.

The best pictures from educational trade cards, 71

Posted in Architecture, Best pictures, Bravery, Educational card, Famous crimes, Famous news stories, Heroes and Heroines, Historical articles, History, Literature, Politics, Railways, Revolution, Rivers, Royalty, Transport, Travel on Wednesday, 25 November 2015

We have selected three of the best pictures from our large collection of 19th and early 20th century educational trade cards.
The first picture shows the Goltzsch Viaduct Railway Bridge, Mylau, Germany.

viaduct, picture, image, illustration

The Goltzsch Viaduct Railway bridge, Mylau, Germany

The second picture shows Dante exiled from Florence.

Dante, picture, image, illustration

Dante exiled from Florence

The third picture shows the assassination of Jean-Paul Marat by Charlotte Corday.

Marat, picture, image, illustration

The assassination of Jean-Paul Marat by Charlotte Corday, French Revolution, 13 July 1793

High-resolution scans of all educational cards can be found in the Look and Learn picture library.

The best pictures from educational trade cards, 43

Posted in Best pictures, Customs, Dance, Educational card, Famous news stories, Fashion, Geography, Geology, Historical articles, History, Leisure, London, Music, Politics, Railways, Religion, Transport, Travel on Tuesday, 24 November 2015

We have selected three of the best pictures from our large collection of 19th and early 20th century educational trade cards.
The first picture shows traditional Pentecost celebrations in Russia.

Russia, picture, image, illustration

Traditional Pentecost celebrations in Russia

The second picture shows the Vesuvius funicular railway in Italy.

Vesuvius, picture, image, illustration

Vesuvius funicular railway, Italy

The third picture shows Gladstone defending his policy for Irish Home Rule in the House of Commons.

Gladstone, picture, image, illustration

Gladstone defending his policy for Irish Home Rule in the House of Commons

High-resolution scans of all educational cards can be found in the Look and Learn picture library.

The best pictures from educational trade cards, 41

Posted in America, Architecture, Best pictures, Communications, Dance, Educational card, Fairy Tale, Famous Composers, Famous landmarks, Famous news stories, Fashion, Heroes and Heroines, Historical articles, History, Institutions, Royalty, Transport, Travel on Tuesday, 24 November 2015

We have selected three of the best pictures from our large collection of 19th and early 20th century educational trade cards.
The first picture shows Harlequin and other characters from Die Puppenfee (The Fairy Doll), a ballet by the Austrian composer Josef Bayer.

Die Puppenfee, picture, image, illustration

Die Puppenfee (The Fairy Doll), a ballet by the Austrian composer Josef Bayer

The second picture shows Wilhelm I proclaimed Emperor of Germany in Versailles, 1871.

Wilhelm I, picture, image, illustration

Wilhelm I proclaimed Emperor of Germany in Versailles, 1871

The third picture shows a New York street with elevated railway.

New York, picture, image, illustration

A New York street – elevated railway

High-resolution scans of all educational cards can be found in the Look and Learn picture library.

The best pictures from educational trade cards, 18

Posted in America, Architecture, Best pictures, Boats, Disasters, Educational card, Exploration, Famous landmarks, Famous news stories, Geography, Heroes and Heroines, Historical articles, History, Mystery, Science, Sea, Ships on Monday, 23 November 2015

We have selected three of the best pictures from our large collection of 19th and early 20th century educational trade cards.
The first picture shows Isaac Newton, English physicist and mathematician.

Isaac Newton, picture, image, illustration

Isaac Newton, English physicist and mathematician

The second picture shows the principal street of New York City.

New York, picture, image, illustration

Principal street of New York City

The third picture shows Sir John Franklin’s expedition in search of the Northwest Passage, 1847.

Arctic, picture, image, illustration

Sir John Franklin's expedition in search of the Northwest Passage, 1847

High-resolution scans of all educational cards can be found in the Look and Learn picture library.

The best pictures from educational trade cards, 7

Posted in Adventure, Best pictures, Communications, Disasters, Educational card, Fairy Tale, Famous news stories, Historical articles, History, Inventions, Legend, News, Oddities, Sea, Ships, Transport, Travel on Monday, 23 November 2015

We have selected three of the best pictures from our large collection of 19th and early 20th century educational trade cards.
The first picture shows the Titanic sending an SOS message by wireless, 1912.

The Titanic, picture, image, illustration

The Titanic sending an SOS message by wireless, 1912

The second picture shows Sinbad thrown alive into the pits of the dead.

Sinbad, picture, image, illustration

Sinbad is thrown alive into the pits of the dead

The third picture shows a giant television screen in a public square from a series on predictions for the future.

future, picture, image, illustration

Giant television screen in a public square from a series on predictions for the future.

High-resolution scans of all educational cards can be found in the Look and Learn picture library.

Che Guevara

Posted in Communism, Famous news stories, Heroes and Heroines, Historical articles, History, Politics, Revolution on Sunday, 22 November 2015

This stylised poster-like image of Che Guevara is a powerful portrait of one of the world’s most famous Freedom Fighters who soared to fame during the Cuban Revolution, and whose Marxist ideas often seemed less potent than his iconic face, which has come to symbolise rebellion and the counter-cultural fervour of youth the world over.

Che Guevara, picture, image, illustration

Che Guevara

Many more pictures of revolution can be found at the Look and Learn picture library.

The Tolpuddle Martyrs

Posted in British Countryside, Famous news stories, Farming, Heroes and Heroines, Historical articles, History, Industry, Law, News, Politics on Sunday, 22 November 2015

This sombre picture depicts the six farm workers known as the Tolpuddle Martyrs, being sentenced to deportation for forming a trade union in the little Dorsetshire village of Tolpuddle. The conviction of the defendants angered many, and the case became a cause celebre leading to their later acquittal.

Tolpuddle Martyrs, picture, image, illustration

Tolpuddle Martyrs

Many more pictures of famous trials can be found at the Look and Learn picture library.