Charles E. Burchfield (1893-1967)

Oct 25 (Sat.)To Niagara Falls –; A day full from beginning to end of powerful beautiful impressions.; The drive up – still, surprisingly, the full beauty of October colors – a strong cold west wind, coming on the heels of yesterday’s misty rain, drives before it great fleets of clouds, dramatically lit up by the intermittent sunlight. ; First Grand Island Bridge, with a pale distant cloud catching all the sunlight – the surface of the river ruffled by the wind to an iron green-gray choppiness. ; Head of American Falls, obscured by wind-tossed spray.; (To foot of falls by elevator); For the first time, the Falls revealed themselves to me the miracle they are – Today none of the banal resort atmosphere usually present – it is a wild rugged shot, the “Elements” in full array. The stormy weather transforms all things the lighting effect on the Fall, and the sky behind; - changing with each moment – now in shadow (dull yellow green with white foam against a soft gray violet cloud – now sunlit – blazing silver highlights -----------