One of the most recognizable symbols in the world and something truly magnificent to behold. Originally designed as the entrance arch for the Exposition Universelle, a World’s Fair marking the centennial celebration of the French Revolution – designer Gustav Eiffel declared that “France will be the only country with a 300 meter flagpole”. The design was originally met with significant opposition from other prominent french designers, particularly Charles Garnier – architect of the Paris Opera – who held protest events under the towers 4 legs because it was “the only place out of sight of the wretched construction”. Barely surviving a proposal to be dismantled in 1909, the Eiffel Tower today is rightfully beloved by the citizens of France and it’s image has been adopted as the national symbol of it’s country.
I studied in Europe in 1990 after my 5th year in architecture school and spent some time in Paris during the fall. I didn’t have any money so my appreciation and fondness for the tower were developed from the ground. From the first time I saw it, it has always captivated me and for once, I am at a loss of words to articulate fully why this is true. I knew that when Michelle and Iplanned our trip, I was going to take a alot of photos. This post existed in my head well before our arrival. Pretty simple really:
- Go to Paris and see tower
- take bazillion photos of tower on site
- take another bazillion photos from all over the city whenever I caught sight of the tower
- Finally go up tower
- View from my Hotel Room
It seems to me that it is almost impossible to take a bad photo of the Eiffel Tower – it’s that photogenic. I don’t have any photography skills that don’t come packaged along with the camera. It’s pretty much point and shoot for me. Now I’ll admit it’s a pretty nice camera but the photos here are all completely un-touched. That blue in the picture above was the color of the late evening sky.
In the end, I decided to not go up the tower once again. Am I crazy? Probably but this structure means that much to me that I kind of like leaving some secrets in place. I imagine it a little like seeing your favorite nightclub in the day with the lights turned on – things are never the same again. I like the fact that the tower is still magical and I haven’t seen the graffiti or peeling paint. For me, my memories of Paris included seeing the Eiffel Tower in the background and I don’t ever want to see Paris without her.
Some interesting Facts about the Eiffel Tower:
- It was the tallest structure in the world for 41 years until the Chrysler Building was built in 1930
- Despite being 1,054 feet tall, the tower has never swayed more than 4″ in any one direction
- The tower is repainted every 7 years and 40 tons of paint are required
- It’s 300 steps to the first level and 700 more steps to the second level
- The elevators between the second level and the top travel more than 62,000 miles a year
- Starting at dusk, for the first 5 minutes of every hour, 20,000 lightbulbs flash all over the tower
- There are over 2.5 million rivets holding the tower together
- The Eiffel Tower is the tallest building in Paris and the second tallest in France
- Despite it’s great height, open framework, and period at which it was built, only one person was killed during the construction (by comparision, the Hoover Dam had an estimated 96 people killed during construction by it’s completion 1935)
Yes, I took all the pictures here myself and I would appreciate it that despite not being a very good photographer, you give me credit (you know – because everything in this blog is copyright protected).
Cheers.
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Wonderful narrative, Bob and amazing photos!
Thanks 🙂
i enjoyed this post – I suspect rex and i will travel to paris in the next few years – just a hunch. we will go to the top of the tower, as you should have…
eiffel tower architect
You didn’t have $20 yet had a hotel room with that view? Our room looked onto an alley.
Nice shots though!
Doug
I didn’t have the $20 when I was in college … that hotel view was from my most recent trip when I did have the $20!
Thanks for the nice comments on the shots!!
You didn’t have $20 yet had a hotel room with that view? Our room looked onto an alley.
Nice shots though!
Doug
I didn’t have the $20 when I was a student. That view was the current $20 richer version of me
A little known fact, in 1925 a conman named Victor Lustig sold the tower to Monsieur Poissona a scrap metal dealer. The amount was neaver disclosed as Monsieur was to embarrassed to tell any one at the time, which allowed Lustig to con someone else and sell it again for $100,000.00.
We went in to Paris August as a London side trip. Loved the Tower. Love your pictures!
We bought our tickets online before we left the States. We had the 9am timeslot, which was perfect. Our apartment was two blocks from the Tower, we we got up, grabbed some pastries from a bakery nearby and enjoyed them on the Champ de Mars. As the time got closer, we went to the ticket holder line. By 9:30 we were at the top, enjoying the view with relatively few crowds.
We found that if we ignored the vendors, they would quickly wander away with no harassment. Of course, being from the NYC area, we are used to ignoring people who approach us at tourist areas. LOL.
You processed your trip better than we did. If we had bought tickets ahead of time, I would have enjoyed going up to the top. We had great weather while we were there and I’m sure the pictures would have been amazing.
Cheers
Now I wonder what Paul is planning? Hmm, Vegas or Paris. Will she notice the difference? Can I combine it with a trip to Dacor? Paul, I am on to you, pal!
Iv'e never seen the one in Las Vegas but I'm sure there's less North Africans and more Iowans (is that even a word?) Since you asked, I went and looked – exact half scale replica.
Iv'e never seen the one in Las Vegas but I'm sure there's less North Africans and more Iowans (is that even a word?) Since you asked, I went and looked – exact half scale replica.
Thanks Brandon, I appreciate your comments. I'm not sure my wife ever got past the vendors, particularly since one of there flying contraptions hit here and nearly made her jump out of her skin!
I also enjoyed you website – you have some great pictures of the Kimble!
Great article Bob. I too was really annoyed by the vendors at first but after awhile they seem to fade away from my experience and I'm left with those stunning views. I'm not sure if it's worth going up. Unless you're there first thing it ends up being a pretty much all day thing. It's much better to grab a bottle of wine and sprawling out on the lawn to take in the best view of Paris. I've really enjoyed your blog. Keep up the great work.
London is one of my most favorite foreign cities – my wife and I have been there several times and it's probably my wife's #1 'if we win the lottery and moved to a foreign city, it'd be London'.
Make sure to let me know how your trip goes.
Pretty hard to imagine that any night shots not involving a tripod could turn out even moderately okay. All I know to do is frame it the way I like it, adjust my aperature depth to achieve some bokeh effect, and then stand really still. Guess it works well enough for my site but I wouldn't expect to make a living off them!
Thanks for reading, and everyone should go to Paris. I am already thinking about the next place we can take my daughter. The experience with her was great and if it weren't for here, I wouldn't have discovered my new favorite old building – the topic of tomorrows post.
Wow Bob, you undersell yourself. Those photos are spectacular. makes me want to pack my bags tomorrow. thanks for the post. and be kind to Paul A, surely he's just jealous. Vegas, Paris, hm… pretty tough to pick. heh.
How's it compare to the Eiffel Tower at the Paris hotel in Vegas?
The one in Paris is twice as big.
Other than that and the lack of North African street vendors, they might be pretty similar but I’m sure the experience is quite difference. Never seen the one in Las Vegas.
Nice shots Bob! I'm going to London myself in about a month and I'm planning a trip to see the Eiffel Tower while I'm there. Can't wait!