Many famous individuals have lived and toiled at London addresses throughout its illustrious past. BluePlaque.com is dedicated to providing a record of the plaques that commemorate these individuals and their work. We also offer the opportunity for anyone to provide, and be credited with, original research on any plaque. For further information see contribute.

"The first official London plaques were erected in 1867 by the Royal Society of Arts at the instigation of William Ewart MP.  By 1901 they had erected thirty-six plaques, the oldest of which now surviving are those commemorating Napoleon III and the poet John Dryden, both erected in 1875.  The responsibility for erecting the plaques passed on to the London County Council in 1901, who had extended the total to 298 by the time the Greater London Council took over in 1965.  The official plaque scheme was extended further until the GLC was disbanded in 1985.  The first plaque set up by English Heritage was erected in 1986, and more than twelve a year have been put up by them since that date.  In total there are about 700 official plaques and most of them are blue with white lettering.

Since the early 1900s local authorities and private individuals have erected their own plaques.  In the City of London the rectangular blue glazed plaques of the Corporation mark many historical sites.  The green plaques set up by Westminster City Council are now a familiar sight, and further afield there is a variety of different types, sizes and colours, to be found in most areas of London.

The unveiling of a new plaque is often marked by a small ceremony, where a celebrity pulls a cord to draw the curtains for a first viewing of the plaque.  The occasion is usually marked by speeches about the person or event commemorated and is followed by a small reception.  These ceremonies are frequently attended by relatives, descendants or associates of the named person and press photographers to record the occasion."

Extract from Discovering London Plaques.  Reproduced here with the kind permission of the author Derek Sumeray and the publisher Shire Publications.

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