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Question re: James Eugene Grosjean



Colleagues:

A patron seeks for information about James Eugene Grosjean, originally from
Lima, Ohio, relative to exhibit(s) he brought to the Buffalo (NY) and
Niagara Falls (NY; possibly Ontario) area,circa 1901.

During 1901, Buffalo hosted the Pan-American Exposition. This world's fair
brought visitors from around the world to the Niagara Frontier. Some
individuals who would not have "exhibited" at the Exposition did set up
their own unique displays, side-shows and other attractions near the
largest natural attraction in the area ---Niagara Falls.

Hucksters, souvenir makers, flim-flam artists, serious artists, inventors,
stuntmen (and women...Annie Edson Taylor, 1st Woman to go over the Falls in
a barrel and survive...) all came to the Falls seeking fame, fortune and/or
noteriety.

Personal contacts, museum curators, archivists, librarians...all have been
suggested locally and in the Lima area. Also contacted have been Chicago
Public Library, Museum of Science and Industry, Field Museum (and Marshall
Field's because of a possible sponsorship link to Grosjean) and New York
Historical Society, and New York State Archives. Usual search engines have
been consulted.

Any information or suggestions would be appreciated. As always, please
respond to me, not the list.
>>>>>>>>
<snip> I'm trying to gather information on an Ohio man who was in Niagara
Falls and Buffalo in 1901. I've tried all other obvious sources i.e. the
Niagara Falls Public Library, the Niagara Public Library, the Niagara Falls
Museum, and the Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society, <snip>

<snip>The man's name was James Eugene Grosjean, and he was originally from
Lima, Ohio. He collected unusual artifacts and made some fairly strange
exhibits. One exhibit was called Noah's Ark, it was a large mechanized
model of the Ark complete with doves and Mount Ararat, the animals moved
two-by-two as music played. It was housed in a wooden and glass case built
by Mr Grosjean. Another case contained "the largest and finest collection
of albino animals," they were stuffed, and placed with their non-albino
counterparts, and some also were mechanized. Yet another case contained a
working model of a Ferris wheel and also 104 different species of bird,
stuffed.
<snip> The exhibits are now back in Lima, Ohio. But in 1901 Grosjean
transported them to Niagara Falls and displayed them in a museum he opened.
I think he chose Niagara Falls to be close to the Pan-American Exposition
in nearby Buffalo.
I have no idea where the museum was in Niagara, how large it was, when he
arrived or how long he stayed there. I also have read unsubstantiated
reports that Grosjean's exhibits were removed, along with others, for being
distasteful and that he converted his museum into a restaurant. I would
really like to confirm this. All I am sure of is that Grosjean was in
Niagara Falls in the summer of 1901 and that he opened a museum there.<end
snip>

Kathleen M. DeLaney
University at Buffalo Archives
tel. 716-645-2916
fax 716-645-3714
e-mail: kdelaney@acsu.buffalo.edu

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