Commemorative plaque

Plaque in tribute to Claude Bernard, at Collège de France in Paris, France.

An example of a lightbox used as a commemorative plaque

This sign in Dickson, Australian Capital Territory commemorates the establishment of Canberra's first aerodrome and its first fatality in the 1920s.

A commemorative plaque, or simply plaque, or in other places referred to as a historical marker or historic plaque, is a plate of metal, ceramic, stone, wood, or other material, typically attached to a wall, stone, or other vertical surface, and bearing text or an image in relief, or both, to commemorate one or more persons, an event, a former use of the place, or some other thing. Many modern plaques and markers are used to associate the location where the plaque or marker is installed with the person, event, or item commemorated as a place worthy of visit. A monumental plaque or tablet commemorating a deceased person or persons, can be a simple form of church monument. Most modern plaques affixed in this way are commemorative of something, but this is not always the case, and there are purely religious plaques, or those signifying ownership or affiliation of some sort. A plaquette is a small plaque, but in English, unlike many European languages, the term is not typically used for outdoor plaques fixed to walls.

Historical

Benin Kingdom

Main article: Benin Bronzes

The Benin Empire, which flourished in present-day Nigeria between the thirteenth and nineteenth centuries, had an exceedingly rich sculptural tradition. One of the kingdom’s chief sites of cultural production was the elaborate ceremonial court of the Oba (divine king) at the palace in Benin. Among the wide range of artistic forms produced at the court were rectangular brass or bronze plaques. At least a portion of these plaques, which were mainly created from the thirteenth through sixteenth centuries, commemorate significant persons and events associated with the Oba’s court, including important battles during Benin’s sixteenth century expansionary period.

Medieval Europe

Main article: Monumental brass

Brass or bronze memorial plaques were produced throughout medieval Europe from at least the early thirteenth through the sixteenth centuries as a form of sepulchral memorial generally inset into the walls of churches or surfaces of tombs. Surviving in great numbers, they were manufactured from sheet brass or latten, very occasionally coloured with enamels, and tend to depict highly conventional figures with brief inscriptions.

Modern

Historical markers are put on display by the owners of sites listed by national agencies concerned with historic preservation such as the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the National Register of Historic Places (in the United States), the National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty (in the United Kingdom), An Taisce (in Ireland), National Historical Commission of the Philippines (in the Philippines), and the National Trusts of other countries.

Other historical markers are created by local municipalities, non-profit organizations, companies, or individuals. In addition to geographically defined regions, individual organizations, such as E Clampus Vitus or the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, can choose to maintain a national set of historical markers that fit a certain theme.

Sir Henry Cole helped set up the first historical marker scheme in 1866.

The Royal Society of Arts established the first scheme in the world for historical commemoration on plaques in 1866.

The scheme was established under the influence of the British politician William Ewart and the civil servant Henry Cole. The first plaque was unveiled in 1867 to commemorate Lord Byron at his birthplace, 24 Holles Street, Cavendish Square. The earliest historical marker to survive, commemorates Napoleon III in King Street, St James's, and was also put up in 1867.

The original plaque colour was blue, but this was changed by the manufacturer Minton, Hollins & Co to chocolate brown to save money. In 1901, the scheme was first taken over by the local government authority - the London County Council.

Austria

• Bundesdenkmalamt

Belgium

• Institut du Patrimoine

Canada

• National Historic Sites of Canada
• Index: National Historic Sites of Canada

Chile

• National Monuments of Chile

France

• Monument historique
• Plaque commémorative

Germany

Löwenberger Land (Germany)

• Deutsche Stiftung Denkmalschutz
• Kulturdenkmal (National Heritage Sites)

Hong Kong

• Declared monuments of Hong Kong
• List of Grade I historic buildings in Hong Kong
• List of Grade II historic buildings in Hong Kong
• List of Grade III historic buildings in Hong Kong

Italy

• Fondo per l'Ambiente Italiano (National Trust of Italy)

Netherlands

• Rijksmonument

New Zealand

• New Zealand Historic Places Trust

Singapore

• National Monuments of Singapore

Switzerland

• Kulturgüterschutz — or: Protection des biens culturels; Cultural heritage protection in Switzerland; or Protezione dei beni culturali

Philippines

Main article: Historical markers of the Philippines

Historical markers or panandang pangkasaysayan are cast-iron plaques installed all over the Philippines that commemorate people, places, personalities, structures, and events. They are installed by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines. This started in 1933, with NHCP's predecesor, the Philippine Historical Research and Markers Committee, which initially only marked antiquities in Manila. There are more than 1,330 markers to date. Markers have also been installed in areas outside the country to commemorate important Filipino personalities and events abroad. The plaques themselves are permanent signs installed in publicly visible locations on buildings, monuments, or in special locations.

• Historical markers all over Philippines
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United Kingdom

This Greater London Council blue plaque at Alexandra Palace commemorates the launch of BBC Television there in 1936.

Blue plaques are the principal type of historical markers found throughout England and are the closest thing there is to a historical marker system in that country. An example is the blue plaque scheme run by English Heritage in London, although these were originally erected in a variety of shapes and colors. The National Trust (which is a non-profit charity organization unlike English Heritage and English Heritage properties) has its own similar markers as well.

However, not all historical markers in the United Kingdom are blue, and many are not ceramic. There are commemorative plaque schemes in Bath, Edinburgh, Brighton, Liverpool, Loughton, and elsewhere—some of which differ from the familiar blue plaque. A scheme in Manchester uses color-coded plaques to commemorate figures, with each of the colors corresponding to the person's occupation. The Dead Comics' Society installs blue plaques to commemorate the former residences of well-known comedians, including those of Sid James and John Le Mesurier. In 2003, the London Borough of Southwark started a plaque scheme which included living people in the awards. Even in London, the Westminster City Council runs a green plaque scheme which is run alongside that of the blue plaque scheme administered by English Heritage. Other schemes are run by civic societies, district or town councils, or local history groups, and often operate with different criteria. In 2010, British tabloid The Sun placed a red coloured plaque outside the Snappy Snaps store in Hampstead, North London where singer George Michael crashed in the early hours of Sunday 4 July 2010. The newspaper stated it planned to put similar plaques in sites around the UK to mark events that had proved popular in the UK Tabloid Press.

In England, the London blue plaques scheme, which is administered by English Heritage, has been running for over 140 years and is thought to be the oldest of its kind in the world. Plaques are attached to buildings to commemorate their association with important occupants or events.

A range of other commemorative plaque schemes, which are typically run by local councils and charitable bodies, exists throughout the United Kingdom. These tend to use their own criteria for determining the eligibility to put up a plaque. A list of schemes currently operating in England is available on the English Heritage website.

Main article: Memorial Plaque (medallion)

After the First World War, the families of British and British Empire (now Commonwealth) service men and women killed during the conflict were presented with bronze Memorial Plaques. The plaques, of about 125 millimetres (4.9 in) in diameter, were designed by the eminent sculptor and medallist, Edward Carter Preston.

See also:

• Blue plaques programme — all U.K.
• List of blue plaques
• Statutory List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest
• National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty — England, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
• National Trust for Scotland — Scotland

United States

In the United States, various state governments have commemorative plaque schemes usually using the name historical markers. The National Trust for Historic Preservation or the U.S. Government, through the National Register of Historic Places, can bestow historical status.

State programmes, such as the California Register of Historical Resources allows designated sites to place their own markers.

The criteria and circumstances through which a party administers the distribution of historical markers varies. For example, the "Preservation Worcester" program in Worcester, Massachusetts allows a person to register their house or other structure of least fifty years of age if the building is well preserved, with retention of its original character and importance to the architectural, cultural or historical nature of the local neighborhood. One then pays a fee ($185 to $225) to receive the historical marker itself.

These historical markers indicate the location of Francis Parkman House, a National Historic Landmark on Beacon Hill in Boston, Massachusetts.

In the same state, the Boston neighborhood of Charlestown, Massachusetts has its own local association to administer historical markers. Other historical markers in and around Boston are administered by agencies such as The Bostonian Society or are associated with sites such as those along the Freedom Trail, the Black Heritage Trail, and the Emerald Necklace.

Other examples of mostly locally generated historical markers in the United States include the plaque outside the Alaska Governor's Mansion made by the Alaska Centennial Commission's historical markers program, the historical markers of State Historic Marker Council in Florida, the markers placed by various agencies in Georgia (of which one source mentions 3,292 different historical markers), in Indiana, where it is illegal to create a historical marker in the "state format" without first getting official approval from that state's historical bureau, historical markers in Kansas erected by the Kansas Historical Society and the Kansas Department of Transportation, the Roadside Historic Marker Program in Maryland administered by the Maryland Historical Trust, the State Historic Marker Program of New York (begun in 1926 to commemorate the Sequicentennial of the American Revolution), the historic markers placed as recently as 2008 in Sussex County, New Jersey, the New Mexico historical markers printed in white letters on a brown background by the New Mexico Department of Transportation, the historical markers of North Carolina (the Historical Publications Section of the state Office of Archives and History publishes a Guide to North Carolina Highway Historical Markers), the more than 1200 historical markers of Ohio (all of which are now made in a Marietta, Ohio workshop), and over 550 official state markers in Wisconsin.

See also:

• National Register of Historic Places (NRHP)
• National Trust for Historic Preservation
• Historical markers posted at U.S. state and/or municipal levels (examples):
  • California Historical Landmark — of statewide historical significance, by state
  • New York State Historic Markers — of statewide historical significance, by state
  • California Points of Historical Interest — of local (city or county) significance, by state
  • Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument — by city
  • San Francisco Designated Landmarks — by city
  • New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission Designated Landmarks — by city
  • North Carolina Highway Historical Marker Program, part of the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources -- by state

Theft

As the price of scrap metal has increased plaques have been the target of metal thieves wishing to resell the metal for cash.

Awards

Plaques or, more often, plaquettes, are also given as awards instead of trophies or ribbons. Such plaques usually bear text describing the reason for the award and, often, the date of the award.

Gallery

Some sample images of historical markers from different places:

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  San Diego, California
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  Auburn, Indiana
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  Melbourne Village, Florida
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  Orchid Island, Florida
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  Elkridge, Maryland
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  Ada, Michigan
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  Ann Arbor, Michigan
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  Omaha, Nebraska
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  Centerport, New York
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  Middle Island, New York
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  New Bern, North Carolina
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  Pulaski, Virginia
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  Fairlington, Virginia
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  The plaque in the Hong Kong Park commemorating the park's opening by the Governor of Hong Kong in 1991
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  An award plaque made of wood with a printed metal plate and a medallion
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  An example of a plaque in Canberra, Australia
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  Plaque showing the historical coat of arms of Wolverhampton, England, before 1898
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  First World War memorial plaque
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  Second World War memorial plaque
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  Plaque for You Chung Hong, California lawyer, in Chinatown, Los Angeles, California, 2012
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  Plaque of Edward VII by Emil Fuchs at The King's Hall Herne Bay, Kent, England (1913).
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  A commemorative plaque from the Möhne Dam in Germany which was brought to Australia as a war trophy on display at the Australian War Memorial
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  The Idaho Statesman Building, built in 1909, was the site of the first computer in Boise, Idaho, the UNIVAC 120, installed in 1957

Bibliography

• James Loewen, Lies Across America: What Our Historic Sites Get Wrong, 1999.
• English Heritage, Blue Plaques: A Guide to the Scheme, 2002
• Nick Rennison, The London Blue Plaque Guide, 2003
• Derek Sumeray, Discovering London Plaques
• Derek Sumeray, Track the Plaque, 2003

See also

• Blue plaque
• Hartog Plate
• National Trusts
• Parting stone
• Stolperstein