Albumen photograph of Avenue des Champs-Élysées in Paris in the late 1800s.

• Original albumin photograph of the Champs-Elysées, in French "les Champs Elysées".
• Late 1800s, Paris.
• Photographer unknown.
• 16.5 cm x 10.7 cm.
• Good condition conservation, some normal stains considering the document is over 100 years old.

The Avenue des Champs Élysées - the Avenue of the Champs Elysées - is the most famous avenue in Paris and, perhaps, in the world. In terms of prestige, it rivals only Fifth Avenue in New York or Copacabana Avenue in Rio de Janeiro. At 1.9 km long, it starts at the Place de la Concorde, near the Louvre, and goes up to the Place Charles de Gaulle, where the Arc de Triomphe is located. Designed by the architect Le Nôtre in 1667, the avenue is one of the main tourist attractions in the French capital.

Albumen prints allowed for greater contrast and more detailed images than salted paper (the previous photographic process). It was the most common process in the world until 1880, gradually decreasing until 1895.

This photograph is a rare example from the end of the 19th century representing one of the most emblematic places in Paris, empty.