Artcurial to Auction Original 1889 Eiffel Tower Staircase Section Estimated at €40,000 - €50,000
Artcurial will offer section no. 1 of the original spiral staircase from the Eiffel Tower in its May 21, 2026 sale. The steel and riveted sheet metal piece, measuring 2.75 metres in height with a 1.75-metre diameter and 14 steps, connected the second and third floors of the tower built for the 1889 World’s Fair under Gustave Eiffel. Dismantled during 1983 modernisation works, the section was sold that year at auction from the tower by Maîtres Ader, Picard and Tajan and has remained in one private collection since, recently restored by the tower’s maintenance workshops. It carries an estimate of €40,000-50,000.
The Signal
Previous Artcurial sales of comparable sections have drawn strong collector demand, with results including €523,800 for section no. 13 in 2016 and €253,500 for section no. 17 in 2020. The current lot’s direct provenance from the 1983 tower sale and limited remaining examples in France position it as a benchmark for pricing industrial heritage pieces. Buyers have placed earlier sections in sites ranging from Japan to New York, indicating sustained international interest in Eiffel Tower artifacts.
- People: Gustave Eiffel
- Auction Houses: Artcurial
- Locations: Paris
- Prices: €40,000-50,000
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