Cover of the February 13 issue of Le Petit Journal Illustree. The female figure depicts both Marianne, the symbol of France, and Genevieve, the patron saint of Paris. She and a crew of Parisians have come to save the city.
The back cover of the same journal shows the cost of the destruction. A man and his wife have returned to find their home in shambles.
Dramatic rescues like this one took place across the city for days. Here, policemen work to deliver a little girl to her waiting father across a narrow wooden walkway.
The only way to move through many parts of Paris was by boat. Often steered by men using poles to push the craft along, many observers likened the scene to Venice.