Rue de Rivoli at the time of the Pairs Exposition Universelle which ran from May to November of 1855. This street was the first project under Haussmann after appointed Prefect of the Seine by Emperor Napoleon III. With sweeping powers to implement construction plans, and only reporting directly to Napeleon himself, Haussmann was able to fund, demolish 800 houses and rebuild this major two mile artery running east-west across the capital city in a short amount of time at an estimated cost of 120 million francs. Photograph by Adolphe Braun (1811-1877).
