The Niagara Falls Illumination Board's

 ILLUMINATION LIGHTS  

The Illumination of the American Falls

This Page is dedicated to

Mr. Pete Gordon and Mr. Dick Mann

They are long service employees of the Niagara Falls Illumination Board

 Both are the individuals who on a nightly basis of every day of every year, no matter the weather, have thrilled millions of people from all over the world with their commitment and talents. They are the artists who paint the largest and most famous canvass in the world with the colours of the rainbow

The Illumination of the American Falls and the Bridal Veil Falls/Luna Falls

The Summer of 1860, Mr. Blackwell of England proposed the Illumination of the Falls in honour of the upcoming visit of the Prince of Wales.

Using two hundred (200) Bengal Lights, he arranged sixty (60) in a row below the high bank on the Canadian shoreline aimed at the American Falls. Blackwell placed another sixty (60) lights under the Table Rock and the remaining eighty (80) lights behind the sheet of water at the Horseshoe Falls.

At 10 p.m. on September 14th 1860, the Falls of Niagara were illuminated for the first time in history in the presence of the Prince of Wales. Although successful, Blackwell's method of illumination wasn't utilized again.

In the late 1860's, calcium "torpedo" lights were utilized to illuminate portions of the Niagara gorge at night.

In 1879, Niagara Falls was again illuminated for the Royal visit of Princess Louise and her husband , the Marquis of Lorne - Governor General of Canada. It was the first time in history that the Falls of Niagara were illuminated by use of electricity.

The Brush Electric Company of Cleveland, Ohio used arc lights to illuminate the Falls. A water wheel was located in the rapids upstream of the American Falls. It was connected to a dynamo type generator capable of producing 36 horsepower of electricity to sixteen arc lights. Each light produced 2,000 candlepower for an overall total of 32,000 candlepower. Twelve (12) of the lights were utilized to light Prospect Park while the remaining four (4) lights were positioned at the base of the American Falls.

The Brush light system was only used for one season.

In 1892, Frank LaBlond, a co-owner of the Maid of the Mist Boat Company ordered a 4,000 candlepower search light to be focused upon the American Falls from the Maid of the Mist landing along the Canadian shore. He planned to use coloured gelatin plates to give the American Falls the effect of having different colours.

In 1901, during the Pan American Exposition in Buffalo, New York, the Falls were illuminated with spotlights to attract attention of visitors at the Exposition.

One of the searchlights was situated beside the Michigan Central Railway along the high bank at Falls View. Power for this particular light was provided from the International Railway Company in the park below.

In 1907, William D'Arcy Ryan of the General Electric Company of Schenectady, New York designed a new light system to illuminate the Falls. Thirty-six (36) new lights had a strength of 1,115,000,000 candlepower were mounted along the Ontario Power Company access road immediately north of the Ontario Power Generating Station near the base of the gorge. They were aimed at the American Falls. Coloured gelatin film was placed across the face of the light to project colours upon the American Falls. Men were paid 50¢ each to stand beside the lights and change the coloured gelatin films.

The Falls were not normally lighted on Sundays. There were several exceptions. On October 9th 1907, the Falls were illuminated during a visit by the Duke of Cornwall and again on October 18th 1919, during a visit of the Prince of Wales.

In 1920, lights were installed on the roof of the Ontario Power Generating Station located at the base of the Niagara Gorge just north of the Horseshoe Falls. Additional lights were mounted on the Table Rock House. This allowed for illumination of the Horseshoe Falls. The lights were strategically located to conceal their location.

During the early 1920's, a group of businessmen from Niagara Falls, New York formed a group that became known as the "generators". They were dedicated ensuring the continued illumination of Niagara Falls and to improve upon the lighting system. This group began lobbying officials of both American and Canadian Governments. For their efforts, this group received a commitment from both governments to maintain the illumination lights. The "generators" group had raised $58,000 for the purchase and installation of twenty-four new arc lights. Each light was thirty-six (36) inches in diameter.

On February 24th 1925, the Niagara Falls Illumination Board was formed. It had ten original representatives. Niagara Falls, New York had six members, Niagara Falls, Ontario had two members and the Niagara Falls Queen Victoria Park Commission had two members. The board had an initial budget of $28,000 to ensure the management, operation and maintenance of the illumination lights.

The power to supply the illumination lights was being provided for free by the Ontario Power Company (OPC).

In 1938, the Niagara Falls Illumination Board was increased to include two members of the hydro company.  

New lights are mounted in a battery (or row) on the Ontario Power Company water surge tank which is located next to the Refractory (Victoria Park) Restaurant just north of the Horseshoe Falls. This allowed lighting of both the American Falls and Horseshoe Falls from the same location. Each light used 4,500 watts and were originally built to search the sky for enemy aircraft over Britain during World War II.

The Illumination Building Control Room

On May 25th 1925, the new lights mounted on the Ontario Power Company surge tank was lit for the first time. A Festival of Lights was planned to coincide with the official dedication of this light system.

The official ceremony took place on June 8th 1925. It included a light parade in Niagara Falls, New York followed by an International ceremony in the middle of the Upper Steel Arch Bridge before the lights were turned on to illuminate the Falls with many spectators looking on. 

The twenty-four (24) spotlights were operated by a crew of three men. Colour gelatin films were manually slid into place in front of each light. Each light produced 55 million candlepower. The series of lights generated a total of 1,320,000,000 candlepower.

In 1951, the Niagara Falls Illumination Board negotiated a new cost sharing agreement to allow for the continued illumination of the Falls and lighting system upgrades. In this new agreements costs were allocated as follows:

Niagara Falls, New York pays 50%
Niagara Falls, Ontario pays 6.87%
Niagara Parks pays 25.55%
Ontario Hydro pays 17.58%

In 1953, the Niagara Falls Illumination Board was increased by two members. The new representatives were from the Niagara Frontier - New York State Parks Commission.

On June 20th 1958, twenty (20) new carbon arc lights were installed by the General Electric Company of Canada at a cost of $153,000. Ten lights were aimed at the Horseshoe Falls and five lights were focused on the American Falls. In addition, two lights were aimed at Goat Island and two lights were focused on the Upper Rapids. The new lights each emitted 4,200,000 candlepower generating a total of 84 million candlepower. The new system included white lights and a combination of fifteen possible colours.

Colors the Illumination lights use are white, red, amber, green, and blue.

In 1970, four (4) Xenon lights were installed on the lower river bank to illuminate the Bridal Veil Falls (Luna Falls).

In 1974, eighteen (18) Xenon gas spotlights were put into use. Each light is 30 inches (76cm) in diameter and each generate 250,000,000 candlepower.

In 1979, three Xenon lights were positioned just south of the Canadian Niagara Power intake and shine on the plume of mist from the Falls. Currently, these three lights are no longer utilized since area hotels complained of the lights shining into nearby hotel rooms.

A battery of four Xenon lights were built to shine directly on the American Falls from a location along the Ontario Power Company access road on the Canadian shore. Both satellite locations are operated by remote control. 

As part of a 1997 upgrade, work began in the Spring to replace old illumination lights with a new 21 light system that will allow 60 - 70 percent more illumination. At a cost of $150,000 the first ten lights were replaced during that year. The new lights use only 4,000 watts. Each bulb is rated at 1,100 hours or one season and cost approximately $1,400 each to replace. The light shells are made of aluminium. 

The remaining eleven lights were replaced in 1998. The old lights were to be sold or used for spare parts.

In December 1997, five more lights were replaced with the much brighter and more economical new lights.

The illumination lights have operated continuously since their inception in the late 1800's till now. Throughout the years there have been only several interruptions. During periods of WWI & WWII the illumination lights were not turned on. The other interruption occurred in January 1938, when a major ice jam shut down the Ontario Power Company Generating Station at the base of the gorge. The lights remained off until the power station resumed operations. 

Today illumination of the Falls of Niagara occurs every night throughout the year. This illumination project continues to be administered and funded by a five member International Board known as the Niagara Falls Illumination Board. Board members currently consist of representatives from the City of Niagara Falls Ontario, the City of Niagara Falls New York, the Niagara Frontier State Park Authority of New York, Ontario Power Generation (Ontario Hydro) and the Niagara Parks Commission.

The current illumination lights were designed by OSRAM GmbH of Germany, one of the world's leading lamp manufacturers. OSRAM produces state-of-the-art lighting solutions that light up people's lives all over the world.

The Xenon Light Bulb used to Illuminate the Falls

OSRAM designed and installed a whole new system of night time illumination for the Niagara Falls. The famous falls, which attracts 14 million visitors a year, uses 4,000-watt OSRAM XBO xenon short arc lamps that highlight the constant haze of spray and vapour, causing the falls to shine in every color of the rainbow. The new lamps produce twice as much light as the previous lighting installations and consume 10 per cent less power. Today, the twenty-one (21) low voltage illumination lights generate an enormous 8.2 billion candlepower.

The Niagara Falls Illumination Board currently employ two operators on staff to conduct the nightly illumination of the Falls. The light show is controlled by a single operator, who changes colour of the lights by changing the combination of the coloured films in front of each light. The standard colour of each light is white.

The Light Panel in the Illumination Building

The entire operation is run from a small control panel in an elongated room overlooking the illumination lights and the vista of the American Falls and Horseshoe Falls. The operator will change the lights every five to ten minutes by manually turning a series of four colour coded (red, blue, green, yellow) round shaped toggle switches for each of the twenty-one lights. With each turn of any of these switches, a large coloured panel (or any combination of the four panels) housed in the section above the actual light drops down in front of the lights or rises as the case maybe in order to create the rainbows of colour shining upon the Falls. There is no automated program which dictates the colour sequences that shine upon the Falls. The operator working creates the kaleidoscope of colours by calling upon their experience and artistic talents. 

The operator controls the battery of four Xenon lights were built to shine directly on the American Falls from a location along the Ontario Power Company access road on the Canadian by remote control.

Power is supplied by the City of Niagara Falls (Ontario) Hydro Commission. It is estimated that the cost of illuminating the Falls including the services of an operator is approximately $85 per hour.

A close-up view of the Illumination Lights Battery

A close-up view of the rear of the Illumination Lights Battery

The Illumination Lights Battery atop the former Ontario Power Company surge tank

The preceding locations and facts about them are but a few of many famous sites & attractions to be found in Niagara Falls. The best of it is FREE to see...so think of Niagara Falls when planning your next vacation. If you have questions of a current or historical nature about the Niagara Falls area or suggestions feel free to e-mail Rick at:
falls@iaw.com

THANK YOU FOR VISITING THE

NIAGARA FALLS
 THE ILLUMINATION LIGHTS

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