The Paris Flood of 1910

In January 1910, weeks of heavy rain caused the Seine River to rise to unprecedented levels, peaking at over 28 feet above normal. Streets became canals, metro tunnels filled with water, electricity failed, and entire neighborhoods were cut off for weeks. While loss of life was relatively limited, the disruption to daily life was enormous, affecting hundreds of thousands of Parisians and reshaping how the city planned for future floods.

At the same moment Paris was grappling with the disaster, postcard collecting was at its height. Picture postcards had become the dominant visual media of the era—cheap, fast to produce, and widely mailed both within France and abroad. Photographers and publishers rushed to document the flood as it unfolded, capturing striking scenes of boats gliding down boulevards, citizens navigating streets on makeshift walkways, submerged landmarks, and soldiers maintaining order. Many cards were printed and sold while the water was still rising, turning the flood into a real-time visual narrative shared across Europe and beyond.

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The gallery below brings together these images in one place, allowing visitors to explore the flood as it unfolded, seeing the city and its people through the eyes of those who experienced it.