These Historic Photos Of Notre Dame Cathedral Show Its Eventful Past

The Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris caught fire Monday, causing catastrophic damage. Here's a look back at one of the city's most historic landmarks.

By
Laura Geiser
by Laura Geiser

Senior Photo Editor

and
Ben King
by Ben King

BuzzFeed Staff

Roger Viollet / Getty Images

The Saint-Michel bridge, the Hôtel-Dieu, and Notre Dame Cathedral before 1857.

Time Life Pictures / The Life Picture Collection / Getty Images

Interior of Notre Dame Cathedral as drawn by Thomas Allom from France Illustrated, 1845.

Print Collector / Getty Images

Notre Dame Cathedral photographed in the late 19th or early 20th century.

Phas / Getty Images

One of Notre Dame's famous rose windows, on the northern side of the cathedral, dating to the 13th century.

Getty Images

The cathedral's exterior is adorned with sculptures illustrating biblical stories, known as the "poor people's book," as, historically, the majority of parishioners could not read. Left: Christian martyr Saint Denis holding his head. Right: Saint Veronica holding a veil bearing the image of Christ's face.

Print Collector / Getty Images

An artist's rendering of Henry VI's French coronation at Notre Dame in 1431 (artist unknown).

Universal History Archive / UIG via Getty Images

"The Coronation of Napoleon" (1807) by Jacques-Louis David, depicting the coronation of Napoleon I at Notre Dame in 1804.

Pierre-Jean Chalencon / Photo12 / Getty Images

The emperor arriving at Notre-Dame depicted in Percier and Fontaine's "Book of the Coronation."

Alamy

American anti-aircraft artillery in front of the cathedral during the Liberation of Paris, 1944.

Morse / AP

US soldiers fill the pews of Notre Dame Cathedral during the GI memorial service for US President Franklin D. Roosevelt on April 16, 1945.

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A photo taken of a flaming vehicle circa Aug. 23, 1944, close to the Pont Saint-Michel and Notre Dame Cathedral during the Battle of Paris, a few days before the city's liberation on Aug. 25, 1944.

AP

Philippe Petit, a 21-year-old professional tightrope walker, perches 225 feet above the ground between the cathedral's two towers on June 26, 1971.

Frances McLaughlin-Gill / Condé Nast via Getty Images

A model poses for a photo in front of the cathedral in 1961.

Barbara Alper / Getty Images

A gargoyle on top of the Notre Dame Cathedral photographed in July 1980.

Ludovic Marin / AFP / Getty Images

A view of the Seine river and its surroundings from the cathedral on June 26, 2018.

Charles Platiau / Reuters

A monument light and sound show, named "Dame de Coeur," by stage director Bruno Seillier, is projected on the cathedral's facade in October 2018.

Martin Bureau / AFP / Getty Images

A June 28, 2017, photo of the cathedral's roof and towers.

Geoffroy Van Der Hasselt / AFP / Getty Images

A France supporter brandishes a French flag in front of the cathedral prior to the start of the Russia 2018 World Cup final football match between France and Croatia, on July 15, 2018.

Andia / UIG via Getty Images

Snow blankets the bank of the River Seine and Notre Dame Cathedral.

Frédéric Soltan / Getty Images

Tourists take in the view from the cathedral in October 2018.

Philippe Wojazer / Reuters

A statue of Saint John is removed from the spire of Notre Dame Cathedral by a crane before restoration work on April 11, 2019.

Geoffroy Van Der Hasselt / AFP / Getty Images

A man watches flames engulf the cathedral on April 15.

Ludovic Marin / AFP / Getty Images

Smoke and embers shoot from Notre Dame Cathedral on the evening of April 15.

CORRECTION

The statue of Veronica portrays the saint holding a veil bearing the image of Christ's face. A previous version of this post misidentified the cloth as Christ's shroud.


CORRECTION

A drawing of a fire at Chartres Cathedral was misidentified as Notre Dame Cathedral in an earlier version of this post; that image has been removed. An image from artists Percier and Fontaine that was misidentified as portraying Notre Dame has been replaced. The date of the Liberation of Paris was misstated in an earlier version of this post.



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