For people interested in what Paris looked like before it became the Paris we know, I strongly recommend to have a look at Vergue (http://vergue.com), and especially at the work of photographer Charles Marville (http://vergue.com/category/Auteurs/Charles-Marville) who was commissioned to take pictures of streets that were going to be demolished or completely renovated.
Vergue is doing a fantastic job of not only renovating these photographs, but also provides a crazy amount of details for each of them (What were these posters about? What is that tool we see next to the entrance of that café ? etc.)… in French only, sorry :)
Magnifique. I've just spent 30 minutes perusing the website. I would pay good money to have access to a "live" VR exhibition of these old streets. Walking around Paris, in two different eras.
Vergue is doing a fantastic job of not only renovating these photographs, but also provides a crazy amount of details for each of them (What were these posters about? What is that tool we see next to the entrance of that café ? etc.)… in French only, sorry :)