Documenting the historical links between people and places as recorded by commemorative plaques
contribute
- You are all part of our mission to find all of the plaques in the world!
- Spotted one? Anyone can help us and add a plaque
- Take a photo. Add it to Wikimedia Commons or Flickr and link it to our record
- Spot an innaccuracy. Tell us.
Open Data
news
Follow us on Twitter and Facebook for updates.
Plaque Of The Day
Jez says, "The 'Don't Panic' political group raised a few eyebrows with this stunt. Jacqui Smith had got into trouble over MP's expense claims"
Place Of The Day
Norwich, United Kingdom
Norwich has a long history. It has been a city since 1094. From the Middle Ages until the Industrial Revolution, Norwich was the largest city in England after London and one of the most important. This is refelected in its plaques.
Most-viewed plaques
In the last 11 years, between 20 May 2009 to 6 Jan 2021, Open Plaques had 4,530,517 page views from 1,234,480 users. Some were triggered by internet memes such as Steve Ullathorne's 2012 image of a George Orwell plaque with a CCTV camera next to it. Others, such as those for Alan Turing, were probably triggered by an anniversary and campaign for recognition.
- George Orwell 1903-1950 novelist & political essayist lived here (19526 page views)
- Jacob von Hogflume 1864-1909 Inventor of time travel. lived here in 2189 (15077 page views)
- George Orwell 1903-1950 novelist and political essayist lived here (6390 page views)
- Jimi Hendrix 1942-1970 guitarist and songwriter lived here 1968-1969 (5714 page views)
- Alan Turing 1912-1954 founder of computer science and cryptographer, whose work was key to breaking the wartime Enigma codes, lived and died here. (4085 page views)
- Sir Arthur Conan Doyle 1859-1930 creator of Sherlock Holmes lived here 1891-1894 (3846 page views)
- Alan Turing 1912-1954 code breaker lived here from 1945-1947 (3679 page views)
- This building housed the offices of Charles Dickens' magazine 'All The Year Round' and his private apartments 1859-1870 (3339 page views)
- Dame Agatha Christie 1890-1976 detective novelist and playwright lived here 1934-1941 (3027 page views)
- The Peterloo Massacre. On 16th August 1819, a peaceful rally of 60,000 pro-democracy reformers, men, women and children was attacked by armed cavalry resulting in 15 deaths and over 600 injuries. (3006 page views)
recently photographed plaques
Texas Historical Marker #15743
Jourdanton. In 1909, Jourdan Campbell (1867-1938) and Theodore H. Zanderson (1854-1927) established the Jourdanton community, named for Campbell, on the eastern edge of their Toby Ranch property. Jourdan Campbell was born in Atascosa County, and was a merchant and county commissioner. He first met Zanderson, a Dane whose significant business interests centered on wool and mohair, in San Antonio. The two entrepreneurs convinced Dr. Charles Franklin Simmons, a land speculator who had previously worked with Campbell, to lay rail through the new townsite; the first train came through Jourdanton on September 4, 1909. Jourdanton soon had utilities, a bank, a newspaper (The Atascosa Monitor), a post office and several businesses. The community also had a school, several churches and a cemetery. Residents, encouraged by the settlement's rapid growth, and led by newspaper owner Ralph Roy "Railroad" Smith, began to promote the idea of Jourdanton becoming county seat. In 1910, Atascosa County residents voted that the county seat be moved from Pleasanton to Jourdanton. In 1911, the town incorporated, and by 1914, it had two railroads and the population had doubled. Many residents were farmers or ranchers. By the 1940s, oil and natural gas reserves were discovered nearby, which led to another period of growth; later, the discovery and mining of lignite to the south also helped sustain Jourdanton's economy. The town grew further with the additions of the Smith Village and Atascosa Estates developments. Although the railroads stopped running by the 1960s, Jourdanton continued to grow, and remains a community rich in culture, heritage and diversity. (2009) #15743
1604 E. State Highway 97, Jourdanton, TX, United States
Sir James Murray editor of the Oxford English Dictionary lived here 1885-1915
78 Banbury Road, Oxford, United Kingdom
Subjects
Gate Of Tears Geata Na nDeor before the bridge and this road existed the River Derry was crossed by means of a ford located at the end of a lane that came over Drumderry Hill. Here emigrants from Clonegal parish had their last view of their native valley and the Wicklow Hills, here too they made their final goodbye to their relatives.
Ballyshonock, Kildavin, Ireland
Elsie Maud Inglis. Founder Scottish Womens Hospitals France, Serbia, Russia 1914-1918, practiced medicine here 1898-1914.
2 Walker Street, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
Subjects
Le cineaste russe Andrei Tarkovski 1932-1986 Trouva ici sa derniere demeure
English translation: Andrei Tarkovsky spent the last years of his life here
10 Rue Puvis de Chavannes, Paris, France
Subjects
Hier wohnte Carl Seligmann Jg. 1871 deportiert 1941 Riga für tot erklärt
English translation: Here lived Carl Seligmann Jg. 1871 deported in 1941 Riga declared dead [AWS Translate]
Rehrbrinkstraße 2, Barsinghausen, Germany
Otley's Printing Machine Industry #5
Site of the Albion Works of John Kelley, manufacturer of Wharfedale-type printing machines 1889-1905
Leeds Road, Otley, United Kingdom
Subjects
Porto World Heritage #80
praca de carlos alberto [full inscription unknown]
Praça de Carlos Alberto, Porto, Portugal
Bishopwearmouth Village Green. At the heart of the medieval settlement of Bishopwearmouth, this ancient village green was once a venue for traditional leisure pursuits including climbing a greasy pole and bull-bating, last recorded in 1788.
Bishopwearmouth Village Green, Sunderland, United Kingdom
Subjects
Im Jahre 1912 wurde die enne: Petalsperre auf kosten der Ennepetalsperrengenossenschaft U. D. kreises schwelm um 10 meter erhöht und ihr stauraum um 2300000 CBM auf 12600000 CBM vergrössert nach den plänen und unter der oberbauleitung des regierungsbaumeisters Raddatz und unter der örtlichen bauleitung des regierungsbaumeisters EGL durch die aktiengessellschaft für betonbau Diss U. Cie. Düsseldorf
Ennepetalsperre, Breckerfeld, Germany
Texas Historical Marker #15760
Stephenville Drug Stores. Local drug stores were an important and essential part of the economy and well-being of early Texas towns. This site at the corner of Washington and Belknap streets served as the location of a series of Stephenville drug stores from 1899 until 1994. The original proprietor was F. A. Schnabel, who contracted for this building to be built in October 1897, and hauled the brick for the building from the new brick plant in nearby Thurber. Schnabel operated the business until 1905, when he sold it to Frank S. White. Subsequent owners of the pharmacy were Swan Richardson, Daniel and Louise D'Arcy, Bill Riddick, John Baker, and finally, Eckerd Drug Company. (2009) #15760
200 W. Washington, Stephenville, TX, United States
Florence White 1886-1961, resident of Scholemoor, Bradford, and successful national campaigner on women's pensions during the 1930's, held her first of many campaign meetings at the Mechanics Institute.
76, Kirkgate, Bradford, United Kingdom