Two Views of Nikola Tesla at Niagara Falls

Nikola Tesla and his alternating current system enabled the harnessing of hydroelectric power at Niagara Falls, the first great electrical power generation and transmission system in the country. To honor his contributions there are now two statues of Tesla at Niagara.

The first one was installed on Goat Island on the American side in the 1970s. The bronze statue is a copy of one sitting at the University of Belgrade in Belgrade, Serbia. It shows him sitting in a chair studying blueprints.

Nikola Tesla Niagara Falls American side

The second was installed in 2006 in Queen Victorian Park overlooking the Horseshoe Falls on the Canadian side. Here he is standing, a dashing young man in a long formal coat, holding an elegant cane, and a fancy top hat.

Nikola Tesla Canadian side

Which statue do you like best?

I’ll have more on Tesla’s contributions to the generation of electricity at Niagara in the book.

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About David J. Kent

David J. Kent is an avid science traveler, scientist, and Abraham Lincoln historian. He is the author of books on Nikola Tesla, Thomas Edison, and Abraham Lincoln. His website is www.davidjkent-writer.com.
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12 Comments

  1. I like the standing one better! It really captures his style…

  2. The 2nd one.

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  4. Did he even need blueprints?

    • Not really. He liked to envision all the designs in his head, including manipulating and improving them. When he got them the way he wanted he put it down on paper. And, according to him, they always worked perfectly.

      It’s likely that we lost a lot of innovations because that way.

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  6. Great man and scientist.!!! NIKOLA TESLA

    • A very interesting character indeed. My book on Tesla is due out in the spring and I’ll be at the Tesla conference in NYC in early January. See my other post for details.

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