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Old photos of Paris

13 photographs of Paris, from 1853 to 2021 — each pinned to the exact place it was taken.

Have an old photo of Paris? A family album, a postcard, a print from the attic. Pin it to the map and it becomes part of the record.
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What the photos show

The 13 photographs of Paris on PlaceWas span 8 decades, from 1853 to 2021. 5 of them were taken before 1980; the other 8 are recent views of the same streets and landmarks.1 spot was photographed more than once, so you can compare the same street, square or building across the years.12 of the photos carry a written caption explaining what is in the frame. Every picture is pinned to the place it was taken, so the map below shows where the photographers stood.

Pick a decade to filter the photos below and the map above. Open full map ↗

Places in Paris through time

Spots photographed more than once — compare the same place across the years.

Hotel de Ville, Paris — photos through time
Hotel de Ville 8 photos · 1900–2021

Stories from Paris

What contributors wrote about these photographs.

Charles Marville, Théâtre du Vaudeville, ca. 1853–70, Paris, 1853
Charles Marville, Théâtre du Vaudeville, ca. 1853–70 1853 Looking across street towards corner three storey building with highly decorated facade.
Charles Marville, Urinoir en ardoise à 3 stalles, Chaussée du Maine, ca, Paris, 1865
Charles Marville, Urinoir en ardoise à 3 stalles, Chaussée du Maine, ca 1865 Cast iron and slate urinal with three stalls raised modesty screen, mounted with lamppost and lantern. Boy standing nearby beside lamppost, face blurred by movement. Avenue du Maine, Paris, France.
Eiffel Tower, Paris, Paris, 1889
Eiffel Tower, Paris 1889 The Eiffel Tower stands newly completed in this 1889 photograph, the year it opened as the centerpiece of the Exposition Universelle marking the centennial of the French Revolution.
Train wreck at Montparnasse, Paris, 1895
Train wreck at Montparnasse 1895 Train wreck at Montparnasse Station , at Place de Rennes side (now Place du 18 Juin 1940), Paris, France, 1895.
Hotel de Ville in Paris, Paris, 2008
Hotel de Ville in Paris 2008 The Hôtel de Ville in Paris has served as the seat of the city's municipal government since the 16th century, though the current building dates largely from a reconstruction after an 1871 fire during the Paris Commune.…
Hotel de Ville, Paris, 2011
Hotel de Ville 2011 The Hôtel de Ville, Paris's city hall on the Right Bank of the Seine, photographed in 2011. The current Renaissance Revival building dates to the late nineteenth century, replacing the earlier structure destroyed by fire…
Notre Dame De Paris, Paris, 2015
Notre Dame De Paris 2015 The west front of Notre-Dame de Paris rises above the Île de la Cité, its twin Gothic towers a familiar silhouette on the Paris skyline. This 2015 photograph captures the cathedral, one of the most visited landmarks in…
Drapeau Olympique Place Hôtel Ville Esplanade Libération - Paris IV (FR75), Paris, 2021
Drapeau Olympique Place Hôtel Ville Esplanade Libération - Paris IV (FR75) 2021 Drapeau olympique sur la place de l'Hôtel de Ville - Esplanade de la Libération, Paris.
1850s · 1 photo
Charles Marville, Théâtre du Vaudeville, ca. 1853–70, Paris, 1853
Charles Marville, Théâtre du Vaudeville, ca. 1853–70 1853
1860s · 1 photo
Charles Marville, Urinoir en ardoise à 3 stalles, Chaussée du Maine, ca, Paris, 1865
Charles Marville, Urinoir en ardoise à 3 stalles, Chaussée du Maine, ca 1865
1880s · 1 photo
Eiffel Tower, Paris, Paris, 1889
Eiffel Tower, Paris 1889
1890s · 1 photo
Train wreck at Montparnasse, Paris, 1895
Train wreck at Montparnasse 1895
1900s · 1 photo
Paris street scene, Paris, 1900
Paris street scene 1900
2000s · 1 photo
Hotel de Ville in Paris, Paris, 2008
Hotel de Ville in Paris 2008
2010s · 6 photos
Hotel de Ville, Paris, 2011
Hotel de Ville 2011
Paris, Hôtel de Ville, Paris, 2012
Paris, Hôtel de Ville 2012
Antique carrousel in Parc Monceau, Paris, Paris, 2012
Antique carrousel in Parc Monceau, Paris 2012
Carousel, pop-up temporary, Paris, Paris, 2014
Carousel, pop-up temporary, Paris 2014
Fountains, Hotel de Ville, Paris, Paris, 2014
Fountains, Hotel de Ville, Paris 2014
Notre Dame De Paris, Paris, 2015
Notre Dame De Paris 2015
2020s · 1 photo
Drapeau Olympique Place Hôtel Ville Esplanade Libération - Paris IV (FR75), Paris, 2021
Drapeau Olympique Place Hôtel Ville Esplanade Libération - Paris IV (FR75) 2021