Commemorative plaque
A commemorative plaque, or simply plaque, is a plate made of metal, ceramic, stone, wood, or other material. It is usually placed on a wall or a large stone. It usually has text and sometimes an image in memory of one or more persons, as used for epitaph, an event, a former use of the place, or some other thing. A plaquette is a small plaque. The word plaquette is not usually used for outdoor plaques fixed to wall.
United Kingdom
In England there is the Blue Plaques scheme. Plaques are put on to buildings to commemorate their links with important people or events. The scheme has been run by English Heritage for over 140 years and is thought to be the oldest of its kind in the world.[1]
Other commemorative plaque schemes are run by local councils and charities throughout the United Kingdom. These use their own rules for deciding when to put up a plaque. A list of schemes in England can be found on the English Heritage website.
Theft
As the price of scrap metal has increased plaques have been stolen by thieves wishing to sell the metal for cash.[2]
Awards
Plaques or, more often, plaquettes, have text awarding someone or something.
Examples
Plaque at Cabrillo National Monument, Point Loma, near San Diego, CA
The plaque in the Hong Kong Park commemorating the park's opening by the Governor of Hong Kong in 1991
Plaque showing the historical coat of arms of Wolverhampton, England before 1898
Second World War memorial plaque
Commemorative Plaque Media
Plaque in tribute to Claude Bernard at Collège de France in Paris
Benin Bronzes at the British Museum. Plaque, brass, Benin, Nigeria, 16th century. AOA 1898,0115.23
An example of a lightbox used as a commemorative plaque
A plaque commemorating the victims of a mass execution during the Axis occupation of Greece in Fregkaina, Greece
Sir Henry Cole helped set up the first historical marker scheme in 1866.
Commemorative plaque at Halley Park in Victoria, Australia
NSW Government circular blue and white plaque, commemorating Arthur Stace 1885—1967
Löwenberger Land (Germany)
Unveiling of a historical marker
References
- ↑ History of the Blue Plaques Scheme. Retrieved 30 July 2012.
- ↑ Hightower, Eve. Stanislaus supervisor wants recycling ordinance used to fight metal theft regionally (13 December 2007)The Modesto Bee. Retrieved 17 November 2010.
Other websites
- History of the First World War bronze memorial plaques Archived 2012-02-10 at the Wayback Machine
- WW I memorial plaques history
- Gallery of Commemorative Plaques carved by lettercutter Ieuan Rees Archived 2012-12-13 at the Wayback Machine
- Blue Plaque Scheme: English Heritage
- Open Plaques - list of commemorative plaques in UK and elsewhere