What would NYC be without the Statue of Liberty? Paris without the Eiffel Tower? Pisa without its leaning tower?

A new series of photographs bring this alternate reality to life, comparing side-by-side pics of iconic locales with and without their most recognizable landmark. Paris’ Place Charles de Gaulle on the Champs-Élysées turns into an empty intersection without the Arc de Triomphe; the Andes Mountains become just another green mountain top without Machu Picchu; Rome is overridden with McDonald’s golden arches instead of the crumbling Colosseum.

The photos were digitally altered by Photoshop enthusiasts from around the world as part of a contest on designcrowd.com. First-place finisher jkrebs04 took home $320 for his rendering of a dried up Niagara Falls; akvarog placed second with his interpretation of an Opera House-less Sydney, winning $180; iMAGICations took home the bronze, and $100, for removing George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, Teddy Roosevelt and Abe Lincoln from Mount Rushmore in South Dakota.

Other entrants received a $10 participation prize.