The 1910 Paris floods
The 1910 Paris floods were the worst since the 17th century. At the pont d'Austerlitz on 28th January at midnight the water level of the Seine rose to 8.68 metres and reached the shoulders of the Zouave statue decorating one of the piers of the bridge Pont de l'Alma. Twenty thousand buildings were flooded over an area of 2 square miles and the victims numbered up to one hundred and fifty thousand. In the affected areas, people moved about in boats and those on foot moved around on trestle bridges installed by the Engineering Corps. These bizarre events have been immortalised by many artists, and in particular by photographers, including L'Hermitte who captured some striking shots in the streets and on the river banks.
