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Eiffel Tower, France -

French civil engineer Gustave Eiffel (1832–1923) stands at the base of the Eiffel Tower during its construction in Paris, France on August 21, 1888.

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Mount Rushmore, USA -

American sculptor Gutzon Borglum (1867–1941) and several of his crew work on carving the head of US President Abraham Lincoln as part of the Mount Rushmore National Memorial near Keystone, South Dakota, this during the 1930s. Lincoln's head, the third head carved, was completed and dedicated on September 17, 1937.

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CN Tower, Canada -

Toronto's CN Tower reaches for the sky in 1973, and was completed in 1976. The CN Tower held the record for the world's tallest free-standing structure for 32 years until 2007 when it was surpassed by Dubai's Burj Khalifa.

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Empire State Building, USA -

A rare aerial photo of the Empire State Building under construction in 1930. The iconic New York City skyscraper opened on May 1, 1931.

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Sydney Opera House, Australia -

Designed by Danish architect Jørn Utzon (1918–2008), the Sydney Opera House is one of the 20th-century's most famous and distinctive buildings. But it didn't look so in July 1966, when the iconic venue was still a work in progress.

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US Capitol Building, USA -

The dome of the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. under construction around the time President Abraham Lincoln took office in 1861.

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Tower Bridge, England -

Tower Bridge in London seen around 1889. It was begun in 1881 and opened in 1894, to designs by Sir Horace Jones (1819–1887). It was designed so that the central section could be raised to allow the passage of ships to and from the busy wharves of London.

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Neuschwanstein Castle, Germany -

Bavaria's fairy-tale Neuschwanstein Castle, commissioned by King Ludwig II of Bavaria (1845–1886), pictured in 1886, the year it was completed. It served briefly as a private residence for the monarch, and was opened to the public shortly after his death.

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Brooklyn Bridge, USA -

Two construction workers standing on a high catwalk, surveying the building of the Brooklyn Bridge in New York City in 1877. The roadway of the bridge had not yet been completed.

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Sacré-Cœur, France -

The bell tower of the Sacré-Cœur Basilica under construction on the Montmartre Hill in Paris in the 1880s. Work on the monument began in 1875, and was completed in 1914.

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Hoover (Boulder) Dam, USA -

Boulder Dam, as it was originally called, positioned on the border between Nevada and Arizona, seen from the air in 1935 still under construction. It opened in 1936, and was officially renamed Hoover Dam for US President Herbert Hoover in 1947.

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Christ the Redeemer, Brazil -

Rio de Janeiro's defining landmark, Christ the Redeemer was constructed between 1922 and 1931. Considered a cultural icon, it's seen here still shrouded in scaffolding shortly before its unveiling on October 12, 1931.

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St. Patrick's Cathedral, USA -

Three youngsters pose outside St. Patrick's Cathedral at 5th Avenue and 51st Street in New York City while it was still under construction, around 1875. The cathedral was consecrated on October 5, 1910.

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Basílica de la Sagrada Família, Spain -

Construction of Barcelona's Sagrada Família began on March 19, 1882. By 1970, when this photograph was taken, little progress had been made. It is hoped that the basilica is completed by 2026, the centenary of its designer Antoni Gaudí's death.

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Gateway Arch, USA -

Another great American landmark structure, the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Missouri is the world's tallest arch, at 192 m (630 ft). This view is of a temporary stabilizing strut being placed near the top of the stainless steel monument in 1965. The arch was opened in 1967.

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Olympiastadion, Germany -

Berlin's Olympic Stadium, built between 1934 and 1936, seen under snow nearing completion. The showpiece sports venue opened on August 1, 1936.

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Grand Central Terminal, USA -

Excavation for supporting infrastructure surrounding Grand Central Terminal in New York City seen in 1908. Opened in 1913, the terminal was built on the site of two similarly-named predecessor stations.

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Buckingham Palace, England -

This image shows the reconstruction of the front of Buckingham Palace in London, in 1913. The original Buckingham House was built in 1703. During the 19th century, the royal residence was enlarged, with further major structural changes made in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

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Golden Gate Bridge, USA -

It's difficult to imagine San Francisco without its famous bridge, but back in 1935 it was still yet to take its familiar form. At the time of its opening in 1937, Golden Gate was both the longest and the tallest suspension bridge in the world.

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Louvre Pyramid, France -

The Louvre Pyramid in Paris under construction in 1987. Designed by Chinese-American architect I. M. Pei (1917–2019), the glass and metal structure was completed in 1988. The landmark featured prominently in the Tom Hanks movie  'The Da Vinci Code' (2003).

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Washington Monument, USA -

View of the construction of the Washington Monument, designed by the architect Robert Mills (1781–1855), photographed in 1864. The American Civil War interrupted construction, which began in 1848 but was not completed until 1884.

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London Eye, England -

The London Eye, also known as the 'Millennium Wheel,' under construction in August 1999 ahead of its opening in December of that year. The huge Ferris wheel is the most popular paid tourist attraction in the United Kingdom, with over 3 million visitors annually.

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Nelson's Column, England -

Nelson's Column under construction in London's Trafalgar Square, pictured during the first week of April 1844. This rare image is a salt paper print from a calotype negative by pioneering English photographer William Henry Fox Talbot (1800–1877).

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Opéra Garnier, France -

A group of construction workers stand with slabs in front of the almost-completed Opéra Garnier in Paris in 1870. It was built for the Paris Opera from 1861 to 1875 at the behest of Emperor Napoleon III. The first performance took place on January 5, 1875.

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Clifton Suspension Bridge, England -

Pictured in 1863, the partially-built structure of the Clifton Suspension Bridge, which spans the Avon Gorge in Bristol, was designed by English civil engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel (1806–1859), considered one of the greatest and most influential figures of the Industrial Revolution. Opened in 1864, the bridge was the site of the first modern bungee jump in 1979.

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Vittoriano, Italy -

Rome's mighty Vittoriano, also called Victor Emmanuel II Monument or Altare della Patria, pictured in 1901. Considered one of the national symbols of Italy, the building was inaugurated in 1911, although construction was only completed in 1935.

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Forth Railway Bridge, Scotland -

The Forth Bridge, which crosses the Firth of Forth near Edinburgh, was inaugurated in March 1890. It's seen here from South Queensferry in 1889.

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Votivkirche, Austria -

Vienna's Votivkirche pictured c. 1867, 12 years before the cathedral was consecrated. The area surrounding Votivkirche was being developed at the same time to become the Ringstraße, Vienna's circular grand boulevard.

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St Mark's Campanile, Italy -

A 1909 image of the reconstruction of St Mark's Campanile, the bell tower of St Mark's Basilica in Venice. It was rebuilt between 1902 and 1912 after the collapse of the previous tower.

Sources: (BBC) (Architectural Digest) (The Telegraph)

See also: Tourist sites where it's strictly forbidden to take photographs

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