THE ARCHIVE / FILE 02
PARIS · FRANCE
SALE OF THE CENTURY
The man who sold the Eiffel Tower for scrap.
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PARIS
48.8566° N
2.3522° E
A man tried to sell the Eiffel Tower.
Twice.
VICTOR LUSTIG.
A serial con man who arrived in Paris with an eye for opportunity.
Evidence 03 · The opportunity
THE TOWER WAS SUPPOSED TO LAST TWENTY YEARS.
By 1925, it had outlived the plan—and become expensive to maintain.
01 / 04
1889
Opened to the public.
Built for the Exposition Universelle, the Tower opened on 15 May 1889. It had been intended to stand for twenty years.
NEXT — 1898
02 / 04
1898
It found another purpose.
The first wireless telegraph signal was sent between the Tower and the Panthéon.
NEXT — 1909
03 / 04
1909
Radio saved it from demolition.
Its value as an antenna kept it standing. Paris renewed the concession in 1910.
NEXT — 1925
04 / 04
1925
Rusting. Expensive to maintain.
Lustig read the reports and saw the opportunity.
CONTINUE ↓
Evidence 04 · The opportunity
LUSTIG SAW AN OPPORTUNITY.
The repair costs gave his next story just enough truth to be believed.
Evidence 05 · The pitch
Impersonating a French government official, Lustig gave the pitch the authority it needed.
- 1. THE DEMOLITION HAD ALREADY BEEN APPROVED.
- 2. THE TOWER WOULD BE DISMANTLED.
- 3. ITS IRON WOULD BE SOLD FOR SCRAP.
- 4. THE SALE HAD TO REMAIN SECRET.
Evidence 06 · The six dealers
SIX MEN RECEIVED HIS INVITATION.
At the Hôtel de Crillon, Lustig studied the six dealers as they weighed his offer.
HE CHOSE THE MAN WHO MOST NEEDED TO BELIEVE.
Evidence 07 · Signed. Paid. Silent.
THE CONTRACT WAS FALSE. THE MONEY WAS REAL.
Poisson paid for the supposed tower and added the bribe. Lustig left for Vienna with the money. Poisson never reported the crime; admitting he had been fooled would have cost him more than the tower ever had.
- SALE PAYMENT
- AMOUNT DISPUTED
- PRIVATE GIFT
- PAID
- STATUS
- FUNDS TRANSFERRED
- POLICE REPORT
- NONE FILED
Evidence 08 · The second attempt
THEN LUSTIG TRIED TO SELL IT AGAIN.
Weeks later he returned to the same scheme. The next target became suspicious and contacted the police. Lustig left Paris before he could be arrested for the Eiffel con.
UNREPORTED
REPORTED
Evidence 09 · Epilogue
THE EIFFEL TOWER NEVER PUT HIM AWAY.
The Eiffel scheme never reached a courtroom. A separate counterfeiting case led to Lustig’s conviction in 1931 and eventual imprisonment at Alcatraz.
End of file 02
Evidence 09 · From the collection
THE STORY, FRAMED.
Sale of the Century is available as a numbered archival print from an edition of fifty.
Sale of the Century
- Medium
- Archival giclée on 200gsm Enhanced Matte Art
- Frame
- Black ash, ready to hang
- Edition
- Edition of fifty · numbered by hand · never reprinted
Next file
03 · Lost Companion
In preparation