#15: Worker Painting the Eiffel Tower, 1953

The Eiffel Tower is one of the most iconic structures in the world, a symbol of Paris and a testament to the ingenuity of human engineering. However, that wasn’t always the case… When it was first commissioned for the 1889 World Exposition in Paris, hundreds of artists protested against it, claiming that the iron structure would ruin the city’s skyline.

The landmark stands over 1000 feet tall and took two years to construct, a feat of innovation and creativity that captured the imagination of people around the world. One of the tower’s most famous detractors was the French writer Guy de Maupassant, who famously ate his lunch in the tower because it was the only spot where he didn’t have to see it…