A blue plaque is a permanent sign installed in a public place to commemorate a link between that location and a famous person or event, serving as a historical marker.
The world's first blue plaques were erected in London, England in the nineteenth century to mark the homes and workplaces of famous people.[1] This original scheme still survives today and is administered by English Heritage. There are now commemorative plaque schemes throughout the world for example in Paris, France; Rome, Italy; Oslo, Norway; Dublin, Ireland; Poland; Canada and Australia; as well as in additional towns in the United Kingdom and the United States.
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The original blue plaque scheme started in the 1860s, is now run by English Heritage in London. It is believed to be the oldest such scheme in the world.[1][2]
There are currently about 850 plaques in London. There were once more, but about 100 have been removed or destroyed due to demolition.
English Heritage puts up an average of 12 new plaques each year in London and many of these are unveiled by prominent celebrities.[3] A recent plaque to John Lennon was unveiled in Montagu Square, London, by Yoko Ono, at the house where the couple shot the cover of the album Two Virgins.[4]
The scheme was founded in 1866 by William Ewart MP, Henry Cole and the Royal Society of Arts (RSA),[6] which erected plaques in a variety of shapes and colours.
The first plaque was unveiled in 1867 to commemorate Lord Byron at his birthplace, 24 Holles Street, Cavendish Square. This house was demolished in 1889. The earliest blue plaque to survive, also put up in 1867, commemorates Napoleon III in King Street, St James's.[7] Byron’s plaque was blue, but the colour was changed by the manufacturer Minton, Hollins & Co to chocolate brown to save money.[8]
In 1879, the Royal Society of Arts agreed that the Corporation of the City of London would be responsible for erecting plaques in The Square Mile to recognise the jurisdictional independence of the City. This demarcation has remained ever since.[7] In total the RSA put up 35 plaques, less than half of which survive today.
In 1901, the scheme was taken over by the London County Council (LCC),[1] which gave much thought to the future design of the plaques, and eventually it was decided to keep the basic shape and design of the RSA plaques, with the exception that they would from then on be blue, introduce a laurel wreath and include the LCC's title.[9] Though this design was used consistently from 1903 to 1938, some experimentation occurred in the 1920s, and plaques were made in bronze, stone and lead. Shape and colour also varied.[9]
In 1921, the most common (blue) plaque design was revised, as it was discovered that glazed ceramic Doulton ware was cheaper than the encaustic formerly used. In 1938, a new plaque design was prepared by an unnamed student at the LCC's Central School of Arts and Crafts and was approved by the committee. It omitted the decorative elements of earlier plaque designs, and allowed for lettering to be better spaced and enlarged. A white border was added to the design shortly after, and this has remained the standard ever since.[8] The LCC formalised the selection criteria for the scheme in 1954.[7]
When the LCC was abolished in 1965, the scheme was taken over by the Greater London Council (GLC). The scheme changed little, but the GLC was keen to broaden the range of people commemorated. The GLC erected 252 plaques, the subjects including Sylvia Pankhurst,[10] Samuel Coleridge-Taylor,[11] and Mary Seacole.[12]
In 1986, the GLC was disbanded and the Blue Plaques Scheme passed to English Heritage. English Heritage has erected over 300 plaques in London so far, with many more shortlisted.
In order to be eligible for an English Heritage blue plaque in London the famous person concerned must:[13]
In cases of foreigners and overseas visitors, candidates should be of international reputation or significant standing in their own country.
With regards to the location of a plaque:
Note that other schemes have different criteria.
Almost all the proposals for English Heritage blue plaques are made by members of the public who write or email the organisation before submitting a formal proposal.[14]
English Heritage's in-house historian researches the proposal, and the Blue Plaques Panel advises on which suggestions should be successful. This is composed of 13 people from various disciplines from across the country. The panel is chaired by Professor Sir David Cannadine, and includes former Poet Laureate Professor Sir Andrew Motion and buildings historian Professor Gavin Stamp. The actor and broadcaster Stephen Fry is also a prominent member of the panel.[15] Stephen Fry wrote the foreword to the book 'Lived in London: Blue Plaques and the Stories Behind Them'.[16]
Roughly a third of proposals are approved in principle, and are placed on a shortlist. Because the scheme is so popular, and because a lot of detailed research has to be carried out, it takes about three years for each case to reach the top of the shortlist. Proposals which are not taken forward can only be re-proposed once ten years have elapsed.[13]
The popularity of the English Heritage London blue plaques scheme has meant that similar schemes have been set up in other towns in the UK and abroad. Many of these schemes also use blue plaques, often manufactured in metal or plastic rather than the ceramic used in London, but some feature plaques of different colours and shapes.
The criteria for selection tends to varies greatly. Many other schemes treat plaques primarily as memorials and place them on the sites of former buildings, whereas English Heritage places emphasis on the plaque as a marker of the actual building lived in by the famous person. Other schemes are run according to theme, such as the Transport Trust’s Red Wheel scheme, which places red plaques on sites of particular significance in the evolution of transport.[18]
| “ | English Heritage itself trialled a national plaques scheme between 1998 and 2005, erecting 34 plaques in Liverpool, Merseyside, Birmingham, Southampton and Portsmouth. It now concentrates on the provision of advice and guidance to individuals, groups and organisations interested or involved in putting up plaques.[19] | ” |
The Birmingham Civic Society provides for a blue plaque scheme in and around Birmingham, there are currently in excess of 80 plaques commemorating notable former Birmingham residents and historical places of interest.[20][21]
A scheme in Manchester until recently used colour-coded plaques to commemorate figures, with each of the colours corresponding to his/her occupation. The plaques are now patinated bronze. The scheme is co-ordinated by Manchester City Galleries, to whom nominations can be submitted. Under the Manchester scheme, plaques must be funded by those who propose them.[22]
The British Comic Society (previously known as the Dead Comics' Society) installs blue plaques to commemorate the former residences of well-known comedians, including those of Sid James and John Le Mesurier.
A green plaque scheme is run in London alongside that of English Heritage by Westminster City Council, with each plaque being sponsored by groups campaigning for memorials.[23]
In 2003, the London Borough of Southwark started a blue plaque scheme which allows for the commemoration of living people in the awards.[24] The London Borough of Southwark awards Blue Plaques through popular vote following public nomination. Unlike the English Heritage scheme, the original building is not necessary for nomination.
Bournemouth Borough Council has unveiled more than thirty-four blue plaques.[25] The first plaque placed on a building in Bournemouth was unveiled on 31 October 1937 to Lewis Tregonwell, who build the first house in what is now Bournemouth. Two further plaques followed in 1957 and 1975 to writer Robert Louis Stevenson and poet Rupert Brooke respectively. The first 'Blue Plaque' was unveiled on 30 June 1985 dedicated to Sir Percy Florence Shelley, Bt.. Since that time Bournemouth Borough Council has unveiled more than[26] 30 blue plaques.
The Hertfordshire town of Berkhamsted unveiled a set of 32 blue plaques in 2000 on some of the town's most significant buildings,[27] including Berkhamsted Castle, the birthplace of writer Graham Greene and buildings associated with the poet William Cowper, John Incent (a Dean of St Paul's Cathedral) and Clementine Churchill. The plaques feature in a Heritage Trail promoted by the Town Council.[28]
The Essex town of Loughton inaugurated a scheme in 1997, following a programme allowing for three new plaques a year; 33 had been erected to the end of 2010. The aim is to stimulate public interest in the town's heritage.[29]
In 2005, Malvern Civic Society and Malvern Hills District Council announced that blue plaques would be placed on buildings in Malvern that were associated with famous people, including Franklin D Roosevelt. Since then blue plaques have been erected to commemorate CS Lewis, Florence Nightingale, Charles Darwin and Haile Selassie.[30][31][32]
In 2010, Derbyshire County Council allowed its residents to vote via the internet on a shortlist of notable historical figures to be commemorated in a local blue plaque scheme.[33] The first six plaques commemorated industrialist Richard Arkwright junior (Bakewell), Olave Baden-Powell and the "Father of Railways" George Stephenson (Chesterfield), the mathematical prodigy Jedediah Buxton (Elmton), actor Arthur Lowe (Hayfield), and architect Joseph Paxton (Chatsworth House). The scheme is to be expanded with a further internet vote in 2011.[34]
In Northern Ireland the Ulster History Circle is one of a small number of groups administering blue plaques within the UK province. Established in 1983, the Ulster History Circle has erected around 140 plaques.[35] Belfast City Council also has a scheme.[36]
Whilst there is no statistical evidence that having a commemorative plaque increases the value of a property, a Daily Mail article pointed out that it helps to make a property stand out from others, especially if there has been some publicity around it.[37]
Commemorative plaque schemes (not all of them using blue plaques) exist in the cities of Paris, Rome, Oslo and Dublin, in addition to those in London and the rest of the UK.[38]
In the United States, commemorative plaques similar to those used in Europe are called historical markers. These vary in colour, but tend to predominately being green or blue. The National Trust for Historic Preservation or the United States Government, through the National Register of Historic Places, can bestow historical status.
Most Australian states have historic marker programs. For example, in Victoria all places and objects listed on the Victorian Heritage Register are entitled to a blue plaque.[39]