Blue Plaques

Lived in London Blue Plaques by Emily Cole

Anyone who has ever wondered why the "blue plaques" clamped to the walls 
of various London buildings are sometimes pinky brown, sea green or even 
pewter will find the answer in the introduction to this fascinating illustrated encyclopaedia. 

 It turns out that the scheme for marking the places where famous people have

lived or worked in the capital has had several sponsors since its inception in 1866. 

The London blue plaques scheme has been run by English Heritage since 1986, 

and continues to grow at a rate of around 10-15 plaques each year. 

In their full range, totalling over 800, the capital’s plaques build up a fascinating

 picture of the varied activities of different ages and the achievements of

 London’s myriad residents.

Blue Plaques celebrate great figures of the past and the buildings that they 

inhabited. These are among the most familiar features of the capital’s streetscape

 and adorn the façades of buildings across London.

They open a window into another time by showing us where the great and the

 good have penned their masterpieces, developed new technologies, lived or died. 

Actors, authors, politicians, painters, scientists, sportsmen, campaigners and 

reformers – people from different countries, cultures and backgrounds – have 

all been commemorated in this way.

TEXT by Kathryn Hughes The Guardian. and www.english-heritage.org.uk