Category Archives: People

Plaques at risk: heritage today gone tomorrow?

We’re used to thinking historical plaques tell us about the past. There’s clearly no disputing this. That said, whilst working on Open Plaques I’ve gradually come to realise that the converse is equally true. They’re also about the here and … Continue reading

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Plaques for fictional characters

The news yesterday that there will soon be a plaque for Ziggy Stardust has prompted the Guardian to ask: which other fictional characters also merit a plaque? “Plaques to commemorate fictional characters are increasingly popular: Lara Croft, Harry Potter and Sherlock … Continue reading

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Two ‘private’ plaques in Colchester

At Open Plaques we are often asked how you go about putting up a plaque. Our normal response is that anyone can do so, as long as they can raise the money to have one made, have the building owners’ … Continue reading

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Flicker Alley plaques reveal innovation hub of early British film industry

Earlier in December I met with two resident traders in the bustling sidestreet of Cecil Court to find out more about the plaque-like blue discs dotted round the windows of its many retail outlets. Today referred to as ‘Booksellers Row’ … Continue reading

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Pinpointing Mozart’s new plaque via London maps and patterns

Until the early part of the nineteenth century the area to the right of London’s Charing Cross Road – then in its previous incarnation as Castle Street – stretching across St Martin’s Lane over to Bedford Street in the heart … Continue reading

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Finding Flann O’Brien: plaques, places, tongues and names

Three is a curious number and if he could speak to us now, I wonder what author Flann O’Brien would make of the three plaques in Ireland erected to commemorate him. He’d probably make a darkly memorable quip that appeared … Continue reading

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General Election 2010 – Remembering the Suffragettes

Polling has finished, and the first few seats have been announced as I write, so I thought it was apt to mention the Suffragettes, who fought for women’s right to vote. We have some plaques commemorating some of the most … Continue reading

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Founders

Founders are common recipients of plaques, recognising the legacy of their work. Here are some founders of some well-known companies and organisations Continue reading

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You say you want a revolution…

Following on from an email conversation about ‘Blue plaques for reds’ I thought that i’d take a look at what blue plaques there are in the openplaques.org database for revolutionaries. Here are the ones that we’ve found: “Vladimir Ilyich Lenin … Continue reading

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