It’s hard to imagine the Paris skyline without the Eiffel Tower, or New York without the Empire State Building. These landmarks are anchored in their cityscapes and etched in our minds as if they’ve always been there. But, of course, there was a time when these structures were just taking shape. Some of these engineering feats were being achieved around the advent of photography. The grainy pictures capture the wonder and progress of a bygone era – not to mention an alarming lack of hard hats and safety harnesses for the workers! Check out these haunting vintage shots of the world’s iconic architecture still under construction.
1. Eiffel Tower, Paris
Eiffel Tower construction began in 1887 as the grand entrance for the World Expo. At first there was an outcry from critics who thought the iron lattice was an eyesore. Some called it “useless and monstrous”. Others declared it a “hateful column of bolted sheet metal”. It was supposed to be dismantled after 20 years, but thankfully we all know how that turned out.
