Part of Eiffel Tower’s original staircase could fetch €150,000 at auction
The fragment is set to go under the hammer at an auction in Paris next month
The staircase section (seen inset) was separated from the Eiffel Tower in 1983
ScStock/ Shutterstock/ Staircase image by Artcurial
A true piece of history is set to go under the hammer in Paris next month, giving history enthusiasts the chance to acquire a fragment of the Eiffel Tower’s original spiral staircase dating back to 1889.
The piece will be offered by the Artcurial auction house on May 21 and is expected to fetch between €120,000 and €150,000. Designed under the direction of Gustave Eiffel, the section represents part of one of the tower’s original staircases.
The fragment measures 2.75 meters in height and 1.75 meters in diameter and is made up of fourteen riveted steel steps supported by a cross-shaped base. It comes from the staircase section that once connected the second and third floors of the monument.
However, despite its historic importance for France, as of yet no French buyer has shown an interest in the artefact with most of the interest coming from international buyers, the auction house said.
Its previous owner had kept the piece in their private collection for more than 40 years.
How the fragments got separated from the Tower
The separation of these fragments from the Eiffel Tower dates back to 1983, when major modernisation work was undertaken to install new lifts. As part of this project, the original spiral staircase had to be dismantled.
At the time, twenty sections were removed and auctioned directly from the monument in a now-famous sale. Since then, these pieces have been dispersed across the world.
Several fragments are now held in public collections, including the Musée d’Orsay and the Cité des Sciences et de l’Industrie in Paris, as well as the Musée de l’Histoire du Fer in Jarville-la-Malgrange. Others are located internationally, such as in the gardens of the Yoishii Foundation in Japan and near the Statue of Liberty in New York.
Since that landmark sale, Artcurial has occasionally reintroduced similar sections to the market, where they have attracted strong interest from collectors. In fact, one section sold in 2016 achieved a record price of over €500,000.
