Documenting the historical links between people and places as recorded by commemorative plaques
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Plaque Of The Day
Pandora Gallery film cell plaque
Jez says, "The Pandora Gallery plaque is one that I must have walked past a hundred times and never seen. It is on Brighton seafront and has been battered by the sea winds until you can hardly see the writing. "
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
Site of the Bull and Mouth Inn demolished 1888
Saint Martin's Le Grand, London, United Kingdom
Subjects
La Butte aux Cailles. Pierre Caille achète ici en 1543 un coteau planté de vignes dominant la Bièvre. Il laissera son nom à ce petit territoire agricole, dont l'histoire est à peine bouleversée par l'atterrissage forcé du premier aérostat portant le marquis d'Arlandes et Pilâtre de Rozier, en 1783. La butte est alors couronnée de quelques moulins; l'un des deux derniers subsiste sur cette placette, jusque dans les années 1860. L'on y creuse aussi des carrières de pierre et de glaise. Entre la Révolution de 1848 et la Grande guerre, la Butte aux Cailles est colonisée par des chiffonniers et des ouvriers du cuir. Ce village sans église se peuple de fermes, d'ateliers et de commerces, dans un esprit de convivialité et de liberté.
English translation: The Butte aux Cailles. Pierre Caille bought here in 1543 a hillside planted with vines overlooking the Bièvre. He left his name to this small agricultural territory, whose history was barely altered by the forced landing of the first aerostat bearing the Marquis d'Arlandes and Pilâtre de Rozier in 1783. The mound was crowned with a few mills; one of the last two remained on this plot until the 1860s. Stone and clay quarries are also excavated. Between the 1848 Revolution and the Great War, Butte aux Cailles was colonized by rags and leather workers. This church-free village is populated by farms, workshops and shops, in a spirit of conviviality and freedom. [AWS Translate]
Place de la Commune de Paris, Paris, France
Gwen Berryman 1906-1983 Actress Born in Wolverhampton Played Doris Archer in the BBC Radio series "The Archers" 1951-1980
123 Goldthorn Hill, Wolverhampton, United Kingdom
Subjects
Texas Historical Marker #05265
Texas Normal College. At this site, on the second floor of a hardware store, 70 students enrolled for the first session of Texas Normal College and Teacher Training Institute, September 16, 1890. The students included 28 Creeks from Indian territory. The city of Denton provided classrooms for the faculty of five under president Joshua C. Chilton, an educator with previous experience and training in Ohio and Indiana. In 1891, the school moved to a building at the present site of North Texas State University. This marker dedicated on 75th Anniversary of the University. (1965) #5265
?, Denton, TX, United States
Winter Gardens (Grade II Listed). The Blackpool Winter Gardens were first opened to the public in 1875 and the Pavilion and ancillary buildings designed by Thomas Mitchell were officially opened to the public by the Lord Mayor of London in 1878. Many subsequent additions to the original buildings took place and principal amongst these are the Empress Ballroom designed by Manghall and Littlewood - opened in 1896 and the Opera House designed by Charles McKeith - opened in 1939. The latter is the third Opera House to be built on this site. The original was the first building in Blackpool to be designed by the celebrated theatre architect Frank Matcham and was opened in 1889. In 1978 the Winter Gardens and Opera House were refurbished by the First Leisure Corporation plc, who employed David Quigley as the architect for this work.
Blackpool Winter Gardens, Blackpool, United Kingdom
Subjects
'Old' Custom House 16th Century In 1586 "much work was done on the Custom House on the New Quay". The New Quay was in-filled and became part of The Parade. Survived demolition in 1926 and bomb damage in 1941. The Custom House of 1820 stands opposite.
Parade, Plymouth, United Kingdom
DECRETO CARLO ALBERTO - PER LA GRAZIA DI DIO RE DI SARDEGNA, DI CIPRO E DI GERUSALEMME, DVCA DI SAVOIA E DI GENOVA. PRINCIPE DI PIEMONTE. VOLENDO CHE LA STESSA BANDIERA CHE, QVAL SIMBOLO DELLA VNIONE ITALIANA, SVENTOLA SVLLE SCHIERE DA NOI GVIDATE A LIBERARE IL SACRO SVOLO DELL'ITALIA, SIA INALBERATA SVLLE NOSTRE NAVI DA GVERRA E SV QUELLE DELLA MARINERIA MERCANTILE SENTITO IL PARERE DEL CONSIGLIO DEI MINISTRI "ABBIAMO ORDINATO E ORDINIAMO" LE NOSTRE NAVI DA GVERRA E LE NAVI DELLA NOSTRA MARINERIA MERCANTILE INALBERERANNO, QVAL BANDIERA NAZIONALE, LA BANDIERA TRICOLORE ITALIANA - VERDE, BIANCO E ROSSO, CON LO SCVDO DI SAVOIA NEL CENTRO LO SCVUDO SARA' SORMONTATO DA VNA CORONA PER NAVI DA GVERRA. IL PRESIDENTE DEL NOSTRO CONSIGLIO DEI MINISTRI INCARICATO DEL PORTAFOGLIO DELLA GVERRA E MARINA, E' INCARICATO DELL'ESECUZIONE DEL PRESENTE. DAL NOSTRO QVARTIER GENERALE A VOLTA 11 APRILE 1848 Carlo Alberto
English translation: CHARLES ALBERT DECREE - BY THE GRACE OF GOD KING OF SARDINIAN, CYPRO AND JERUSALEM, DVCA OF SAVOY AND GENOVA. PRINCE OF THE PEBBLE. WISHING THAT THE SAME FLAG WHICH, AS THE SYMBOL OF THE ITALIAN WINE, WAKES UP RANKS FROM US TO FREE THE SACRED FLIGHT OF ITALY, BE INALBERTED OUR SHIPS FROM THE GVERRA AND THOSE OF THE MERCHANT MARINERIA FELT THE OPINION OF THE COUNCIL OF MINISTERS “WE HAVE ORDERED AND ORDER” OUR SHIPS FROM GVERRA AND THE SHIPS OF OUR MERCANTILE MARINERIA WILL INALBER, QVAL NATIONAL FLAG, THE ITALIAN TRICOLOR FLAG - GREEN, WHITE AND RED, WITH THE SCVDO OF SAVOIA IN THE CENTER THE SCVUDO WILL BE SURMOUNTED BY A CROWN FOR SHIPS OF GVERRA. THE CHAIRMAN OF OUR COUNCIL OF MINISTERS IN CHARGE OF THE PURSE OF GOVERNMENT AND NAVY IS IN CHARGE OF THE EXECUTION OF THE PRESENT. DAVY OUR GALLET-THE-GAL-TALLET OF THE ADVICE, THE ADVICE OF THE ADVICE, [AWS Translate]
Via Beata Paola, Volta Mantovana, Italy
To honour the work of Sir Frederick Gibberd 1908-1984 architect, landscape designer, Master Planner of Harlow 1947-1984
The Water Gardens, Harlow, United Kingdom
Subjects
Hier wohnte Arthur Wolff jg. 1893 Deportiert 1943 Ermordet in Auschwitz
English translation: Arthur Wolff
Schmidstr. 2a, Mitte, Berlin, Germany
Subjects
BBC Music Day 2017 #BBC Radio Leicester
Eric Pinkett OBE 'Mr Music' 1911-1979. Founder of the Leicestershire County School of Music and Leicestershire Schools Symphony Orchestra. He inspired generations of young musicians.
Church Langton Primary School, Church Langton, United Kingdom
Subjects
Blue Star Memorial A Tribute to the Armed Forces that have defended The United States of America sponsored by The Garden Club of Marion in cooperation with V.F.W. San Mateo Post #60
Marion National Cemetery, Marion, IN, United States
Masonic Hall This building was purpose built & opened in 1846 as the Institute for Popular Science and Literature (the forerunner of todays York College and University Centre) The building was purchased by the Eboracum Lodge No1611 in 1882 It was opened as a Masonic Hall in 1884 and remains so today
Masonic Hall, St Saviourgate, York, York, United Kingdom