Documenting the historical links between people and places as recorded by commemorative plaques
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Plaque Of The Day
Mrs Humphrey's House and scurvy ridden whale men blue plaque
Jez says, "This has to be one of _the_ best inscriptions ever. It is also quite a difficult plaque to get a photo of."
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
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Near this spot on 6th March 1922 occurred the Dudley Port Explosion when 19 girls were killed whilst dismantling redundant WW1 cartridges. Their memorial stands in Tipton Cemetery
Tipton Toddlers Nursery, Groveland Road, Tipton, United Kingdom
Subjects
Charles William Jefferys 1869-1951 Writer, artist, and illustrator of historical novels and textbooks, Charles Jefferys emigrated to Canada from England in 1879. After studying at the Toronto Art Students League, he joined the New York Herald as an illustrator in 1892, but returned to Canada in 1900 to work as a freelance artist for the Globe and the Daily Star. From 1911 to 1939 he taught drawing and painting at the University of Toronto. He painted landscapes and historical subjects across Canada, but is best known for his carefully researched drawings, such as those in his three volume Picture Gallery of Canadian History.
Medical Sciences Building, 1 King's College Circle, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
Subjects
Eglise Ste. Marie Madeleine. Quatre églises dédiées à St. Marie Madeleine ont été successivement édifiées en ce lieu acheté par le Père Mégret à Joseph LeBlanc en 1843. L'église actuelle a été construite en 1911 sous le pastorat du Père Laforest.
English translation: Church Ste. Marie Madeleine. Four churches dedicated to St. Marie Madeleine were successively built in this place purchased by Father Mégret from Joseph LeBlanc in 1843. The present church was built in 1911 under the pastoral care of Father Laforest. [AWS Translate]
300 Pere Megret St., Abbeville, LA, United States
L'Hôtel de Scipion Sardini. Toscan venu en France dans la suite de Catherine de Médicis, ce financier "naguère sardine, aujourd'hui grosse baleine" amasse en quelques années une fortune considérable. Il choisit alors d'établir sa résidence dans ce quartier tranquille, constitué de vergers, de champs et de vignobles, et se fait construire en 1565 un hôtel de pierre et de brique, premier exemple du genre. Un étage et un comble bas reposent sur une galerie formée de larges arcades en plein cintre, ornées de médaillons en terre-cuite. Fort de la confiance de la reine, il épouse en 1567 une de ses parentes éloignées, Isabelle de Limeuil, membre du célèbre "escadron volant", qui venait d'avoir un fils du prince de Condé. Chargé sous Henri III de la perception de taxes impopulaires sur les auberges et les cabarets, il devient baron et banquier du roi. Moins en faveur sous Henri IV, il se consacre aux arts et aux lettres jusqu'à sa mort, en 1609. En 1614 son hôtel, dont les jardins descendent jusqu'à la Bièvre, est transformé en hôpital Sainte-Marthe, destiné à loger les pauvres; sa propriété passe à l'Hôpital général en 1656, qui l'affecte en 1676 à la boulangerie des hospices civils de Paris.
English translation: Hotel Scipion Sardini. Tuscan came to France in the sequel of Catherine de Médicis, this financial “once sardine, today big whale” amassed in a few years a considerable fortune. He then chose to establish his residence in this quiet area, consisting of orchards, fields and vineyards, and was built in 1565 a stone and brick hotel, the first example of its kind. A floor and a high floor rest on a gallery formed by large arches in the hanger, decorated with medallions in terracotta. With the Queen's confidence, in 1567 he married one of his distant parents, Isabelle de Limeuil, a member of the famous “flying squadron”, who had just had a son of the Prince of Condé. Under Henry III, he was responsible for collecting unpopular taxes on hostels and cabarets and became the king's baron and banker. Less in favour of Henry IV, he devoted himself to the arts and letters until his death in 1609. In 1614 his hotel, whose gardens descended to the Bièvre, was transformed into a hospital Sainte-Marthe, intended to house the poor; his property passed to the General Hospital in 1656, which in 1676 assigned him to the bakery of the civil hospices of Paris. [AWS Translate]
13 rue Scipion, Paris, France
Francis Place (1771-1854), political reformer, lived here 1833-1851.
21 Brompton Square, Kensington and Chelsea, SW3, London, United Kingdom
Subjects
Stratford on Avon Canal The erection of this bridge constructed by men from H.M. Prison Wormwood Scrubs and H.M. Prison Birmingham. Completed the restoration to navigation of the canal by volunteers, servicemen and prisoners 1961-4. The canal was re-opened by H.M. Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother on Saturday 11th July 1964
Avon Lock - Bancroft Basin, Stratford-upon-Avon, United Kingdom
Subjects
Matlock Post Office prior to 1912 In 1912 new post office premises opened in Bank Road
Dale Road and Holt Lane junction, Matlock, United Kingdom
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Anthony Trollope (1815-1882) novelist lived here
39 Montagu Square, Westminster, W1, London, United Kingdom
Subjects
John Greene Crosse M.D., F.R.C.S., F.R.S The celebrated surgeon of the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital lived here. He published works on physiognomy, early uses of vaccination in Norfolk and the treatment of bladder stones.
Norwich, Norwich, United Kingdom
Subjects
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Juan Pablo Viscardo Y Guzman 1748-1798 Peruvian essayist herald of Latin American independence lived and died here
185 Baker Street, Paddington, London, United Kingdom
Subjects
Jean Biguet, sous-lieutenant F.F.I., tombé ici le 24 août 1944 pour la Libération de Paris.
English translation: Jean Biguet, Second Lieutenant F.F.I., fell here on August 24, 1944 for the Paris Liberation. [AWS Translate]
Faubourg Saint Jacques near Boulevard Arago, Paris, France
Milton Arms Late Tudor. Built near the former medieval friary.
Bibi's Boutique - 21 St Alban Street, Weymouth, United Kingdom