Blue Plaque

Blue plaque referred to in the UK, a public -mounted plaque, which should point to a famous person or event. In general, there is a disc made of blue glazed ceramic or resin with 48 centimeters in diameter, white lettering and white border, which is attached to buildings or other permanent structures. Usually it is two inches thick and connected by mortar firmly to the wall. Blue plaques are not necessarily blue; various organizations in the UK use different designs.

The plaques by English Heritage

The State heritage preservation organization English Heritage accepts nominations receive from the public. Condition is that the person is dead either for 20 years or 100 years but passed since her birth. The criteria have been established in 1954. To be honored prominent personalities who have made "an important and positive contribution ," " extraordinary, outstanding" were and earn national recognition. Proposals must not necessarily come from citizens of the United Kingdom. If a person meets the criteria, the plaque can be attached to a building, that was bound to the person.

Originally there was this kind of distinction only in London and was extended in 1998 to other parts of England; the first plaque was unveiled here in 2000 in Liverpool. Among the cities that participate include Birmingham, Portsmouth and Southampton. Pursue many other cities, although they do not participate in the campaign by English Heritage, for many years, similar projects.

English Heritage will award new plaques in the year 20. Lately, only a plaque per person is permitted, even when experiencing some names in the past on more than one place. Dante Gabriel Rossetti and William Wilberforce dedicated three plaques, as well as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, William Morris and Virginia Woolf two plaques - sometimes together with other notable personalities ( see figure).

Controversy surrounding the selection

In December 2006, an article in the Daily Telegraph English Heritage accused of violating its own selection criteria, with the intention to bring more members of ethnic minorities to Plaque. Many of the selected individuals are largely unknown. According to this article some proposed and widely known white as the comedian Eric Morecambe and the musician Marc Bolan had been rejected on the grounds that they were of " insufficient stature or historical significance " while some people of African or Asian origin plaques were granted, although they were relatively unknown. An internal e- mail that was quoted by the newspaper, expressed the wish that the " cultural diversity of England's heritage recognized in all its diversity, respected and celebrated " should be; other documents prove that the commemorative plaque government supported for people with black skin who had made ​​outstanding contributions to the abolition of the slave trade.

The original Blue plaques from London

The first Blue plaque was installed in 1867 in the London Holle Street, to commemorate Lord Byron. Support of the action was at that time the Royal Society of Arts; it was taken over in 1901 by the London County Council and later the Greater London Council. When it was dissolved in 1985, jumped English Heritage and extended the action later to other parts of England from. Meanwhile, the idea of other organizations in the UK and the rest of the world has been taken. The Royal Society of Arts has awarded 13 badges, the London County Council 249 and the Greater London Council 262; Today there are over 800 However, many buildings have since been demolished also with plaques again. The oldest plaque that has survived to this day, is located in the Gerrard Street and dates from 1875. 's Early plaques were dark brown, the current design dates from 1937, in 1939 the white border was added.

Curiosities

• The plaques for George Frideric Handel and Jimi Hendrix are side by side, mounted on 25 and 23 Brook Street, Mayfair, London, W1.
• The fictional character Sherlock Holmes is a plaque in 221B Baker Street, London, W1, dedicated. She was placed there at the behest of the Sherlock Holmes Museum housed there.
• The author William Wymark Jacobs received two plaques on the same day in 1998 in London and Loughton.