The Great Flood of 1910: Rare Historical Photos Revealing Paris Submerged in Water

In January 1910, the streets of Paris, the City of Lights, turned into waterways, not unlike the canals of Venice. It was a sight that caught the Parisians by surprise, forcing them to adapt to a city submerged. This unusual scenario was the result of what we now remember as the Great Paris Flood of 1910.

Towards the end of 1909, the French capital had seen an unusually high amount of rainfall. By January 1910, the Seine River, the city’s primary waterway, began to swell. Day by day, the river rose steadily, eventually bursting its banks and flooding the city. The water level reached a peak of 8.62 meters – almost 20 feet above the norm, submerging streets, homes, and landmarks in the process.

As the city found itself knee-deep in water, life in Paris had to adjust to the new circumstances. Parisians swapped their daily modes of transport for boats and makeshift bridges. Images from that time depict people rowing down the streets, which were now temporary canals, with the iconic Parisian architecture as a surreal backdrop. This period gave birth to the term ‘Les Zouaves,’ referring to the statue of a Zouave soldier on the Alma Bridge, which Parisians used as a makeshift flood marker.

The flood affected the city’s infrastructure significantly. Gas, electricity, and the telephone network were cut off in many places, leaving parts of the city in darkness. Paris’s extensive underground network, including the newly built Metro, was inundated, disrupting daily commutes and the city’s vital functions. Even the famous Louvre Museum was at risk, with staff and volunteers working tirelessly to move artwork to safer locations.

While the 1910 Paris Flood caused extensive material damage, leading to displacement and property loss, the actual human toll in terms of fatalities was remarkably low. Official records state that the flood resulted in only one confirmed fatality, a figure that seems almost miraculous considering the scale and severity of the disaster. The low casualty rate can be attributed to the slow onset of the flood, which allowed residents ample time to evacuate their homes and move to safer areas.

While the waters started to recede after a month, it took much longer for the city to fully recover. The flood led to considerable policy changes, including new laws for Paris’s urban planning and infrastructure to mitigate future floods’ impact.

Below are some historical photos that capture the devastating impact of the Great Flood of 1910 on the enchanting city of Paris. These photos not only showcase the extent of the damage caused by the flood but also shed light on the extraordinary efforts undertaken to evacuate the affected areas.

#1 Floods in Paris, 1910.

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#2 Floods in Paris, 1910.

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#3 Men carrying a woman during floods in Paris, 1910.

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#4 Flood in Paris after rise in Seine river, 1910.

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#5 Flood in Paris after rise in Seine river, 1910.

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#6 Flood in Paris after rise in Seine river, 1910.

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#7 Flood in Paris after rise in Seine river, 1910.

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#8 Flood in Paris after rise in Seine river, 1910.

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#9 Flood in Paris after rise in Seine river, 1910.

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#10 Flood in Paris after rise in Seine river, 1910.

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#11 Flood in Paris after rise in Seine river, 1910.

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#12 Flood in Paris after rise in Seine river, 1910.

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#13 The warehouse deBercy during floods of January 1910 in Paris.

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#14 Flooding in Paris following Seine river flood, 1910.

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#15 Flooding in Paris by rue de la federation following Seine river flood, 1910.

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#16 Great Flood of Paris, 1910. Flooding at Quai de Passy.

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#17 Great Flood of Paris, 1910. Rescue on Quai de Billy, caused by flooding of Seine river.

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#18 Vintage French postcard: pedestrians crossing flooded Seine River at Avenue Ledru-Rollin, Paris, circa January 1910.

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#19 Vintage French postcard: sewer workers and gendarmes during flooding at rue des Grands-Degres, Paris, circa January 1910.

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#20 Vintage French postcard: devastation caused by Seine River flooding at Quai de Passy, Paris, circa January 1910.

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#21 Vintage French postcard: flood clean-up crew in L’Ile Saint-Denis, north of Paris, circa 1910.

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#22 Great Flood of Paris, 1910 – Rue Lacordaire.

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#23 Flooded villa and garden during Paris flood. Part of photo album flooding Paris and suburbs 1910.

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#24 Flood in Paris, 1910 – Pont Alexandre.

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#25 Flood in Paris, 1910 – Quai de Conti.

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#26 Paris, The Flood of the Seine (January 1910) – 120 Rue Saint-Lazare and the Court of Rome.

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#27 Flooded street with a fence during Paris flood. Part of photo album flooding Paris and suburbs 1910.

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#28 Boats along a quay during Paris flood. Part of photo album flooding Paris and suburbs 1910.

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#29 Flood of the Seine – Door Billancourt. Porte de Billancourt, 1910.

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#30 Old postcard of Paris floods, January 1910 – Asnières Street Station.

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#31 Flood in Paris, 1910 – Rescue on Boulevard de Grenelle.

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#32 Boats along a quay during Paris flood. Part of photo album flooding Paris and suburbs 1910.

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#33 Paris, 1910 Floods, Moving, Quai de Billy.

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#34 Flood of the Seine – Rue de Lyon. Rue de Lyon, XIIth arr.

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#35 Seine River flood of June 2016 in Paris, France.

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#36 Paris, Inondation 1910, Javel Quarter, Passersby.

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#37 Flood of the Seine – Bridge Sully. Le Pont de Sully, IVth arr.

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#38 Paris, France. June 01, 2016. Seine River flooding after rainfalls. Highest since 1910.

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#39 Great Flood of Paris, 1910 – Île-Saint-Denis.

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#40 Old postcard of Paris floods, January 1910 – Quai d’Asnières.

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#41 Great Flood of Paris, 1910 – Quai de Passy.

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#42 Great Flood of Paris, 1910 – Boulevard Haussmann.

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#43 Postcard of the 1910 Paris floods.

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#44 Historic flooding of Paris in 1910 – Flooded Esplanade des Invalides.

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#45 Sunken boat on the Seine River during Paris flood, 1910.

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#46 Great Flood of Paris, 1910 – Avenue Montaigne.

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#47 Car in flooded street during Paris flood, 1910.

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#48 Vintage photo – Flood of the Seine, Avenue Ledru-Rollin, Paris 1910.

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#49 Old postcard of Paris floods, January 1910 – Flooded street.

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#50 Photography – View of Paris, Street Lourmel during 1910 flood, baker in cart.

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#51 Historic flooding of Paris, 1910 – Flooded fields near Coulommiers for growth of Marne River.

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#52 Great Flood 1910 Archive Paris France Vintage postcard of the Great Flood of January 1910.

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#53 Unknown French, Paris Flood, Street with Boats and Cart, January 27-31, 1910.

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#54 Car in flooded street during Paris flood, 1910.

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#55 Flooded suburb of Paris seen from a window, France, January 1910.

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#56 Flood in Paris, 1910 – Avenue Montaigne.

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#57 Entrepôt de Bercy during the Great Flood of Paris, 1910.

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#58 The Paris Flood – Eugène Béjot, 1910.

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#59 Flood of January 1910 – Paris, Quai des Grands Augustins.

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#60 Paris, Inondations 1910, Passerelle Boulevard Haussmann.

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#61 Great Flood of Paris, 1910 – Quai de Passy.

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#62 Historic flooding of Paris, 1910 – Army engineers with boats in front of Gare de Lyon.

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#63 Great Flood of Paris, 1910 – Gennevilliers.

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#64 Flood in Paris, 1910 – Quai Conti.

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#65 Unknown French, Paris Flood, Street with Boats and Cart, January 27-31, 1910.

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#66 Paris, The Flood of the Seine (January 1910) – Quai des Grands Augustins.

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#67 Paris, Inondation 1910, Avenue Montaigne.

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#68 10th-century flooded Paris street with rowing boats, France, 1910.

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#69 Entrepôt de Bercy during the Great Flood of Paris, 1910.

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#70 Old postcard of Paris floods, January 1910 – Avenue Montaigne.

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#71 Flood in Paris, 1910 – Avenue Félix-Faure.

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#72 Paris – The Flood of the Seine (January 1910) – Quai des Grands-Augustins.

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#73 Paris, Inondation 1910, Avenue Montaigne.

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#74 10th-century flooded Paris street with rowing boat, France, 1910.

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#75 Old postcard of Paris floods, January 1910 – Belgian Mission Boarding.

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#76 Flood in Paris, 1910 – Quai aux Fleurs.

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#77 Partially flooded street during Paris flood. Part of photo album flooding Paris and suburbs 1910.

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#78 Paris – The Flood of the Seine (January 1910) – Flood of Traverse Street (XII arr.).

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#79 Paris, Inondation, January 1910, Avenue Ledru Rollin.

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#80 Paris – The Flood of the Seine (January 1910) – Quai des Grands Augustins.

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#81 Paris, Inondation 1910, Boulevard Saint Germain.

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#82 Flood in Paris, 1910 – Rue Saint Charles 75015 Paris.

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#83 Old postcard of Paris floods, January 1910 – Levallois Perret, Street Fazillau.

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#84 Flood of the Seine – Door Station. Porte de la Gare, XIIIth arr.

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#85 Flooded street and buildings during Paris flood, seen from the train. Part of the photo album flooding Paris and suburbs 1910.

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#86 Paris, Inondation 1910, Le Quai Béthune, Residents.

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#87 Great Flood of Paris, 1910 – Rue de la Convention.

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#88 Flood in Paris, 1910 – Rue Saint Charles 75015 Paris.

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#89 Old postcard of Paris floods, January 1910 – Levallois-Perret, Street Raspail.

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#90 Men performing rescue during Paris flood. Part of the photo album flooding Paris and suburbs 1910.

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#91 Flood of the Seine – Dock Debilly. Quai Debilly (now Avenue de New York), XVIth arr.

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#92 Flood in Paris, 1910 – The Rue de Lyon submerged.

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#93 Old postcard of Paris floods, January 1910 – Asnières, post bordering boat houses.

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#94 Work on railways during Paris flood, seen from the bridge. Part of the photo album flooding Paris and suburbs 1910.

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#95 Paris, Inondation de la Seine, January 1910, Bateaux.

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#96 Old postcard of Paris floods, January 1910 – Quai d’Or.

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#97 Men with wheelbarrows and a machine at Maisons-Alfort railway station during the Paris flood of 1910.

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#98 Paris, 1910 Flood, Rue de Lyon with boats.

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#99 Flood in Paris 1910 – Seine floods – Rue de Lyon submerged.

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#100 Vintage postcard of January 1910 Paris floods, Boulevard Diderot and rue de Bercy.

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#101 Seine flood (27 Jan 1910) – Boulevard Diderot. View of Boulevard Diderot during Paris flood. 12th arrondissement.

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#102 Paris Flood 1910 – Seine’s Great Flood – Flooding in the Quartier de Javel.

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#103 Great flood of Paris 1910 – Villeneuve-Saint-Georges – Place de la Gare.

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#104 Seine flood case (31 Jan 1910) – Ivry. Rue de la Mairie. Street of Town Hall during the flood.

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#105 Paris, Jan 1910 Flood, Rue du Bac – High water.

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#106 Great flood of Paris 1910 – Gymnasium of Rue Saint Lambert.

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#107 Vintage postcard of Jan 1910 Paris floods – Esplanade des Invalides with installed pond by second Engineering Angers.

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#108 Paris, Seine flood 1910 – Collapse of a sewer on Boulevard Haussmann.

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#109 Flood in Paris 1910 – Seine floods – Quai d’Auteuil from the viaduct of Point du Jour.

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#110 Seine flood case (27 Jan 1910) – Lyon Street. View of Rue du Lyon during the flood. 12th arrondissement.

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#111 Paris, 1910 Flood, Quai de la Rapée – Passersby.

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#112 Paris, 1910 Flood – Overview of Pont de l’Alma.

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#113 Seine flood case (27 Jan 1910) – Bridge Pier. View of pier during the flood. 4th district.

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#114 Paris, Jan 1910 Flood – Avenue Rapp.

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#115 Vintage postcard – Jan 1910 Paris flood – Place de Rome.

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#116 Flood in Paris 1910 – Seine floods – Le Pont des Saints-Pères (now Pont du Carrousel).

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#117 Seine flood case (31 Jan 1910) – Rue St Andre des Arts. View of the street during the flood. 5th arrondissement.

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#118 Paris, 1910 Flood – Panoramic view of Notre Dame.

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#119 Paris, 1910 Flood – Transshipment on Quai de Passy.

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#120 Paris, Seine flood Jan 1910 – Avenue Montaigne.

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#121 Paris, 1910 Flood – Estacade and vessels for supply.

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#122 Dry road with a dam during Paris flood. Part of photo album of the 1910 flooding in Paris and suburbs.

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#123 Paris, 1910 Flood – Panoramic view of Pont de Solférino.

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#124 Boat and houses in a flooded suburb of Paris. Part of photo album of the 1910 flooding in Paris and suburbs.

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#125 Paris, Jan-Feb 1910 – Aviator Lesseps and Baroness Delagrange during the floods.

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#126 Paris, 1910 Flood – Boulevard Saint Germain, tenant on a raft.

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#127 Paris, Seine flood Jan 1910 – Le Grand Palais and carriages.

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#128 Paris, 1910 Flood – Rue de Poitiers, Orsay station, January 26.

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#129 Paris, 1910 Flood – Military rescuers in the Left Bank districts.

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#130 Paris, Seine flood Jan 1910 – Place de la Nativité.

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#131 Paris, 1910 Flood – Rue Saint Goujon, Cours la Reine.

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#132 Paris, Seine flood Jan 1910 – La Rue de la Pépinière.

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