PARIS.- On May 21st, 2026, Artcurial’s Art Deco department will present a piece of Eiffel Tower history: a section of the original spiral staircase dating from 1889, designed under the supervision of Gustave Eiffel (1832 - 1923). This piece, section no. 1 of the staircase connecting the second and third floors, is estimated at €40,000 - 50,000.
Measuring 2.75 metres in total height (2.60 metres to the landing) and 1.75 metres in diameter, this structure made of steel and riveted sheet metal, with 14 steps resting on a cross-shaped base, was part of the spiral staircase that once allowed visitors to reach the top of the Eiffel Tower.
A witness to history
Built for the 1889 World’s Fair, this spiral staircase connected the various levels of the tower designed by Gustave Eiffel and his colleagues. During the modernisation work carried out in 1983 to install new lifts, the staircase was dismantled.
On December 1st, 1983, twenty sections were sold at auction directly from the Eiffel Tower during a sale organised by Maîtres Ader, Picard and Tajan. The section on display today corresponds to lot no. 1 from that historic sale.
Having remained in the same private collection for over forty years, this piece has been restored by the workshops responsible for the maintenance of the Eiffel Tower, ensuring the preservation of its structure and original features.
Of the twenty sections sold in 1983, few have remained in France and are still in the possession of their original buyers. Several elements have joined prestigious collections and sites around the world. One of them can be seen in the gardens of the Yoishii Foundation in Yamanashi, Japan, another near the Statue of Liberty in New York, and even at Disneyland. Others now belong to major international private collections.
Artcurial has previously put sections of the Eiffel Tower staircase up for auction on several occasions, each time attracting keen interest from collectors. In 2013, a staircase was sold for €212,458; in 2016, section no. 13 reached €523,800; in 2018, section no. 4 found a buyer for €162,500; and in 2020, no. 17 was bought for €253,500.
