Following months of unusually high rainfall in 1910, the Seine River rose nearly 30 feet above ordinary levels. Though the banks themselves did not overflow, Paris was flooded from underneath as water gushed upwards through its utility and transportation tunnels. Thousands of Parisians were forced to leave their homes and navigate the city by boat. The floodwaters took 10 days to reach their highest level but more than a month to fully recede. In the end, it is estimated that the Great Paris Flood did 400 million francs or the equivalent of $1.5 billion worth of damage.
These days, the water is long gone but remnants of it remain in the form of Julien Knez’s project. Knez, from Golem13, has matched dramatic photos from the 1910 floods to their locations in present day Paris to give the images a historic sense of scale. Take a look at his work below. Check out a book featuring similar work from Knez here.
(Julien Knez/Golem13) (Julien Knez/Golem13) (Julien Knez/Golem13) (Julien Knez/Golem13)
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