40 Stunning Photos of Paris Through the Years That You've Never Seen Before

Now a huge visual part of Paris's identity, the unusual tower was built as the main exhibit of the World's Fair in 1889 and meant to commemorate 100 years since the French Revolution.

Built in 1862 under the reign of Napoleon III, the Café de la Paix evolved into an intellectual hot spot for writers, actors, and politicians.

Today rue Descartes houses pubs, caterers, bars, restaurants, and bazaars. That, combined with its "village" appearance, makes it a popular stop for tourists. When Ernest Hemingway first moved to Paris in the 1920s, he rented a space for writing at 39 rue Descartes.

Guignol puppet shows were very popular for children and often drew them in to participate by responding and reacting to questions voiced by the puppets.

The Seine River is inextricably linked to the city's history, economy, aesthetic, and tourism. It winds through some of the most important monuments of Paris, including the Eiffel Tower, the Notre-Dame Cathedral, and the Pont-Neuf, one of the 27 bridges that cross the Seine.

The ornate domed newspaper kiosks are integral to the aesthetic of Parisian streets and are beloved by locals and tourists alike — so much so that when Mayor Anne Hidalgo proposed modernizing 360 of them, about 58,000 Parisians signed a petition against the change.

Charcuterie boards have become a mainstay on modern U.S. restaurant menus, and we have France to thank for that. The word charcuterie is French, after all.

The newest inventions of the sky were revealed at the exhibition hall at Grand Palais. It has become the premier show dedicated to the aviation and space industry.

Paris began constructing its metro system in 1900 in order to accommodate the crowds for the World Fair. Here the Paris metro line 4 (Cite station) was being built.

The First World War mainly took place in France, which all but destroyed the country's economy. Its manpower, infrastructure, and agriculture all suffered and declined.

During the First World War, Japan fought on the side of the French, against Germany, to honor a 1902 alliance with Great Britain.

This cute little food market on Rue Sainte-Opportune was par for the course in 1920s Paris.

Paris is due to host the Olympics in 2024, exactly a century after the last time the Games came to town.

Two young ladies in drop-waist dresses stand next to their vintage automobile, looking like the epitome of the Roaring ’20s in Paris.

The city inaugurated a room in the cellar of Les Halles, the major fresh food market, for the conservation of cheeses.

Hit by the 1929 Depression in the United States, foreign trade declined drastically, creating a global the economic crisis that spread to other countries like France.

The war created a serious gas shortage that prevented Parisians from using cars, buses, or any kind of automobile. And so, the city had to bring back horse-drawn carriages for transportation.

French citizens crowded the Champs Elysees to watch Allied tanks and half tracks pass through the historic monument after Paris was liberated from Nazi occupation on August 25.

Workers parade in front of the headquarters of the central committee of the Communist Party. At the time, the French Communist Party had a quarter of the French population's vote. In 1946, it participated in the Fourth Republic’s first government.

This Tour de France was the first to have a stage finish in Spain.