The Paris Flood of 1910

In January 1910, the River Seine rose to extraordinary heights and swept into the streets of Paris. For weeks the city was remade by water. Stairways descended into hidden rivers, railway stations stood like islands, and residents crossed avenues by boat. Daily life slowed to a hush as familiar places took on unfamiliar shapes.

Publishers quickly turned these scenes into postcards, which traveled far beyond France as both souvenirs and testimony. More than a century later, they remain a striking record of a city transformed — a moment when Paris stood half submerged, yet unbroken.