Documenting the historical links between people and places as recorded by commemorative plaques
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Plaque Of The Day
Harold Ross, Dorothy Parker, Harpo Marx, and George Gershwin red plaque
Simon says, "It's not often a plaque contains an epigram from the person it commemorates, but this one does exactly that and tells us he partied at least once with a bohemian set, including George Gershwin, Dorothy Parker and Harpo Marx. Founder and first editor of the New Yorker, Harold Ross was - like most journalists - fond of name-dropping, so his plaque is quite in keeping with that tradition."
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
In questa casa romana dove abito dall agosto al Dicembre 1906 James Joyce esule volontario evoco la storia di ulisse facendo della sua Dublino il nostro universo
English translation: In this Roman house, from August to December 1906, lived James Joyce voluntary exile evoking the history of Ulysses making his Dublin our universe
Via Frattini, Rome, Italy
Subjects
SIWASH ROCK. Indian legend tells us that this 50 foot high pinnacle of rock stands as an imperishable monument to "Skalsh the Unselfish" who was turned into stone by "Q'uas the Transformer" as a reward for his unselfishness.
Stanley Park Seawall Path, Vancouver, BC, Canada
Nevada Historical Marker #247
Site Of Nevada’s First Public Library. In 1895, Washoe County District Attorney, Frank H. Norcross, later a Chief Justice of the Nevada Supreme Court and a Federal Judge, began a drive to establish Nevada’s first free public library in Reno. That year, he persuaded the Nevada Legislature to enact a law establishing Nevada’s public libraries.The state’s first public library building was erected on this site in 1904, with $15,000 donated by philanthropist Andrew Carnegie on land originally donated to the City of Reno by pioneer Myron C. Lake. It remained in service until 1930, when growth forced its relocation to the site where the Pioneer Theater Auditorium now stands. The library was sold for $1 and demolished in 1931.In 1966, the library was relocated to a new building at Center and Liberty Streets, three blocks south of this site.
South Virginia St, Reno, NV, United States
King Edward VII Gateway. Generously donated to the citizens of Windsor by Sir Jesse Boot and opened by Princess Alice Countess of Athlone in January 1921
Alexandra Gardens, Windsor, United Kingdom
Subjects
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The heroine of Dickens' novel, Little Dorrit, was one resident who was not a prisoner.
Angel Street, London, United Kingdom
Humber Dock Promenade. This promenade was opened on 26th April 1988 by Councillor Miss V A Mitchell Lord Mayor of Kingston upon Hull & Admiral of the Humber
Wall running between Humber Dock Street and the Marina, close to the junction with Castle Street, Hull, United Kingdom
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Hier wohnte Elfriede Kopp geb. Stern jg. 1875 Deportiert 11.9.1942 Theresienstadt Ermordet in Treblinka
English translation: Elfriede Kopp
Bochumer Str. 14, Mitte, Berlin, Germany
Subjects
James R Thomson. (1881-1963). Professional, Apewanes Country Club, New York Founding member, PGA of America. Lived on this site.
Beach Road, North Berwick, United Kingdom
C15th house, with C17th & C19th alterations. Old Cross Post Office was sited here 1899-2003
1 St Andrew Street, Hertford, United Kingdom
Jules Barbey d'Aurevilly, littérateur français, né a Saint-Sauveur-le-Vicomte 'Manche' le 2 novembre 1808, est mort dans cette maison le 23 avril 1889.
English translation: Jules Barbey d'Aurevilly, French literator; b. 2 Nov. 1808 in Saint-Sauveur-le-Vicomte 'Manche, died in this house on 23 April 1889. [AWS Translate]
25 rue Rousselet, Paris, France
Hier wohnte Fränze Landsberg geb. Wolfstein Jg. 1896 deportiert 15.12.1941 Riga tot in Stutthof
English translation: Here lived Fränze Landsberg née Wolfstein Jg. 1896 deported 15.12.1941 Riga dead in Stutthof [AWS Translate]
Stüvestraße 16, Hannover, Germany
On the 6th of September, 1620, in the Mayoralty of Thomas Fownes, after being "kindly entertained and courteously used by divers Friends there dwelling", the Pilgrim Fathers sailed from Plymouth in the Mayflower, in the Providence of God to settle in New Plymouth, and to lay the foundation of the New England States. The ancient Cawsey whence they embarked was destroyed not many Years afterwards but the Site of their Embarkation is marked by the Stone bearing the name of the Mayflower in the pavement of the adjacent Pier. This tablet was erected in the Mayoralty of J. T. Bond, 1891, to commemorate their Departure, and the visit to Plymouth in July of that Year of number of their Descendants and Representatives.
The Barbican, Plymouth, United Kingdom