Siege of Paris, 1871 - picture of the day

A photographic highlight selected by the picture desk. On 28 January 1871 Paris surrendered to the Prussians ending the Franco-Prussian war. Paris, under siege for over four months, had been heavily bombarded. This photograph, with the Arc de Triomphe in the distance, shows the destruction along the Champs-Elysees. The exact date is unknown, but it is thought to have been taken during the Paris Commune in March 1871

The Champs-Elysees photographed from the Porte Maillot