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Niagara Falls—Canadian Side by Moonlight

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Niagara Falls—Canadian Side by Moonlight

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Pavel Petrovich Svinin (1787/88–1839)

Public domain scan of 19th century Russian drawing, free to use, no copyright restrictions image - Picryl description

Public domain scan of 19th century Russian drawing, free to use, no copyright restrictions image - Picryl description

Pavel Petrovich Svinin (Павел Петрович Свиньин; also transliterated Svin'in or Svinyin) was born in Russia on June 8, 1787. He attended the School for the Nobility and the Academy of Fine Arts in Moscow and St. Petersburg. After entering the foreign service at the age of 18, Svinin was given the opportunity to travel around the world. In 1811, his travels brought him to the United States as the Secretary to the Russian Consul-General, based in Philadelphia. Svinin traveled along the East Coast from Maine to Virginia. Along the way, he sketched the American landscape, painted watercolors, and wrote articles. He was fond of the similarities between the United States and his home country including tolerance for different religions. American steamboats and the public education system were also favorite subjects for the Russian diplomat. Although he did not like the system of political parties, Svinin admired the American form of government. In an article entitled "A Glance at the Republic of the United American States," Svinin made an indirect reference to Thomas Jefferson's most famous phrase from the Declaration of Independence. "The Americans have shown themselves fully worthy of enjoying those rights of true liberty and happiness," Svinin wrote, "the first foundation of the spirit of their government, which ... excels in this respect all the ancient and modern republics." Pavel Svinin left the United States in June of 1813. Following his travels, he published his memoirs and watercolors, in addition to other illustrations from his American visit. His watercolors included images of Natural Bridge and Niagara Falls. A large collection of Svinin's work can be seen at the Metropolitan Art Museum in New York City. Svinin died in Russia in 1839. From www.monticello.org, Thomas Jefferson Foundation

Niagara Falls is a group of three waterfalls at the southern end of Niagara Gorge, spanning the border between the US state of New York and the Canadian province of Ontario. The largest of the three is Horseshoe Falls, also known as Canadian Falls, which straddles the international border between Canada and the United States. The smaller American Falls and Bridal Veil Falls lie entirely within the United States. Bridal Veil Falls are separated from Horseshoe Falls by Goat Island and from American Falls by Luna Island, with both islands situated in New York as well. Located on the Niagara River, which drains Lake Erie into Lake Ontario, the combined falls have the highest flow rate of any waterfall in North America that has a vertical drop of more than 50 meters (160 ft). Niagara Falls is famed both for its beauty and as a valuable source of hydroelectric power. In 1881, the Niagara River's first hydroelectric generating station was built. The water fell 86 feet (26 m) and generated direct current electricity, which ran the machinery of local mills and lit up some of the village streets. In 1893, Westinghouse Electric designed a system to generate alternating current. In 1896, giant underground conduits leading to turbines generating upwards of 100,000 horsepower (75 MW), we installed.

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1813
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Metropolitan Museum of Art
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