(click on the image to enlarge)
Eiffel Tower view from Trocadero © Flavio Martín Morante_2008
Nikon D200
Since I was a kid few buildings have fascinated me as much as the Eiffel Tower, building that tomorrow celebrates 125 years since its unveiling. A wonder of modern architecture and engineering, the tower has seen some much history in such a relative short time that it is amazing for some instances that is still standing, which it makes a symbol of endurance.
I had the good fortune of visiting it on 2008 with Dawn while my show in Paris, and today as I read about her birthday, I decided to dust off some pictures (my favorite ones) from my "archives" along with some short tales about them. We ended visiting the site on two separate occasions reason why the you will see two different weather conditions on it.
The first picture above in this post is what I call my own trophy. In it two women stand looking at it from the Trocadero promenade gardens. They are standing at the almost same spot where a famous photograph was made of Adolf Hitler when he took over Paris (SEE PHOTO HERE) en 1940.
I deducted when I saw them that they may have been from an eastern european country, maybe one of the countries ravaged by the Blitzkrieg and the fact that they are standing there along with the tower makes this photo priceless for me. Story goes that when things did not go well on Europe for him after D-Day, he ordered to level the city (and the tower), order that thankfully was not followed.
I deducted when I saw them that they may have been from an eastern european country, maybe one of the countries ravaged by the Blitzkrieg and the fact that they are standing there along with the tower makes this photo priceless for me. Story goes that when things did not go well on Europe for him after D-Day, he ordered to level the city (and the tower), order that thankfully was not followed.
(click on the image to enlarge)
Tourists awaiting to access the tower © Flavio Martín Morante_2008
Nikon D200
That morning we woke up really early and after breakfast made our way to it, as the doors I believe open at 9AM and the place gets full of lines of people very quick. It was really cold yet on March and after taking the metro and getting there I can say that we were the seventh and eighth people in line when the ticket window opened, reason why we were able to go up there and do this photograph of the late ones which then did have to wait hours before going up. And the saying goes... Early bird gets the worm.
(click on the image to enlarge)
View of the tower's shadow being projected to Trocadero. © Flavio Martín Morante_2008
Nikon D200
The tower has been used for some many things through its time, from beacon to antenna of radio and that day it became some type of shadow clock for me as we looked from one of the floors in direction to Trocadero.
(click on the image to enlarge)
View of the tower from underneath. © Flavio Martín Morante_2008
Nikon D200
(click on the image to enlarge)
View of the tower from underneath. © Flavio Martín Morante_2008
Nikon D200
(click on the image to enlarge)
View of the tower from underneath. © Flavio Martín Morante_2008
Nikon D200
As much as I really like geometry the tower gave multiple lines and shapes to work with as I found through walks underneath and inside of it. Every possible angle became a source of inspiration.
(click on the image to enlarge)
An employee cleaning the South corner of the tower. © Flavio Martín Morante_2008
Nikon D200
I thought this picture is a good homage to the people that have taken care of the building during this time. One of the stories I like the most is of the employes that once Paris fell to the nazis, they cut the wires that made the lifts work so the germans did not have it so easy to get to the top.
(click on the image to enlarge)
"Arrevoir Mrs Eiffel." © Flavio Martín Morante_2008
Nikon D200
This picture shows exactly the last moment I saw and photograph the tower as we made our way back in the parisian metro to the Les Gobelins where our hostel was. Next day we left for Nice in the south of France and this picture is to me a goodbye not only to the tower but also to Paris.
Some day I would like to see her again.
