Eiffel staircase section going to auction June 16
15 Jun 2011 - 22:26
A New York City auction house is offering a piece of iconic history from the City of Lights.
A 14-foot high spiral staircase section from the Eiffel Tower is being offered by Christie's on June 16, 2011. It's estimated to bring $80,000 to $120,000.
It's part of a staircase that was conceived as a temporary structure for the tower in 1889.
It was cut up into 24 sections of varying lengths and removed in 1980 because of structural concerns. It was replaced with the current zigzag staircase.
Three sections were given to museums in France. The rest were auctioned in 1983.
Christie's identified the owner of the section it's selling only as an American collection who purchased it at the 1983 auction.
