Fascinating Color Photos of 1914 Paris

A boy pushes an overloaded cart through a picturesque city square. A soldier with a wooden leg stands next to a cannon, his uniform covered with medals. A group of young performers in period costume assemble around a statue. Then there’s this shot of the original Moulin Rouge, an architectural gem of the Belle Époque that would be destroyed in a fire the following year. Unearthed by Retronaut, these color photos of Paris back 1914 are not only lovely to look at, they’re incredibly narrative, like a visual prompt for the kind of stories that Hemingway would write about the city in the decade to come. If you need an escape from the impending holiday drama, or you’d just like travel over a hundred years back in time, click through our slideshow now!

Image via Retronaut

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Great photos! Right out of Woody Allen's Midnight in Paris. The last one must be a veteran of the 1870 Franco-Prussian War.

I wish I could live this day and age in the City of Light and culture .. Paris longevity beautiful country .. Thank you .. Please accept my greetings and cordial ...